University of Virginia Library

VIRGINIA BAR EXAMINATIONS

Mr. Gay pointed out that a sizable number of University graduates of the Law School had in
recent years been failing the State Bar Examination. A discussion of the matter then occurred which
may be summarized as follows.

It is the practice on the part of the State Board of Law Examiners of asking questions which
concern the Virginia Code. It was freely admitted that the law course at the University of Virginia
does not cover the Virginia Code. However, in order to do this adequately, a great amount of time
would be required. The subject of the Virginia Code would be of little interest to out-of-state students,
and we are very anxious to retain in the membership of the Law School a considerable number
of out-of-state students. It was first proposed that some change be made in the courses at the Law
School. Then, however, it seemed to be the consensus that the fault did not lie with the Law School,
but rather with the kind of questions asked by the law examiners. When this stage of the discussion
was reached, a motion was passed requesting President Darden to confer with Dean Ribble and suggest
that the deans of the law schools appear before the Board of Law Examiners and lay before that Board
the dilemma of the law schools and inferentially ask that the nature of the questions be more in relation
to the general law, rather than to the statutes of Virginia.