Lawmaker Calls For Bar Exam Changes In Wake Of Medical Emergency At Hofstra

HEMPTEAD, NY — A state lawmaker is pushing for bar exam changes in the wake of a test-taker suffering a medical emergency at Hofstra University last month.

Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-North Shore) sent a letter to the New York State Board of Law Examiners on Thursday.

The law school graduate collapsed during the exam. Public safety officers from the school administered CPR and defibrillation until paramedics arrived and took the student to a local hospital, the Associated Press said.

A Hofstra University spokesperson said that the test-taker collapsed shortly before a scheduled lunch break at the Hempstead campus, the AP said.

But the clock didn't stop for other would-be lawyers, who continued their bar exam during the emergency, ABA Journal.com said.

Lavine, who chairs the Assembly Judiciary Committee, expressed his "deep concern" over the incident.

He called the response effort "disorganized, delayed and lacking in clear protocol."

Also, in the letter to the state's Board of Law Examiners, Lavine said he found it "troubling that no consistent or codified procedures were in place to ensure an immediate coordinated response."

The assemblyman seeks "the urgent need for the board to establish and implement a uniform emergency response policy across all testing locations."

Lavine said all protocols should include "clearly designated responsibilities for proctors and staff, immediate access to medical personnel or emergency services, and procedures for pausing or addressing disruptions in a way that protects both the individual in crisis and the integrity of the examination process."

A proctor who was in the room for the July 30 test told Newsday: "Proctors could have collected the exams and then given them back to them — or they could have delayed the start of the p.m. part of the exam."

Lavine added: "I urge the board to review this matter thoroughly and to take transparent action to prevent any recurrence. We welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with the Board of Law Examiners in developing a statewide emergency preparedness policy for all bar examination sites."

ABA Journal said the woman who suffered the medical emergency graduated from Fordham Law School.