In re Goodman

The Georgia Board of Bar Examiners properly denied the applicant's request to transcribe and regrade his handwritten answers to the Multistate Performance Test portion of the bar examinations.

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Richard A. Goodman graduated from law school in 2001 and took and failed the Georgia Bar Examination in February 2002. The Georgia Board of Bar Examiners denied his request to verify that it had accurately read his handwritten answers to the Multistate Performance Test “MPT” portion of the bar examination and he appeals. Because Goodman is essentially requesting that the Board regrade his answers and we see no reason to deviate from the rules prohibiting regrading, we affirm. Goodman surmises that he received poor grades on the MPT because the bar examiner who graded his MPT answers may have had difficulty reading his handwriting. To support this hypothesis, Goodman relies on the grades that he received on the Georgia essay portion of the examination, which were higher than his scores for the MPT. Both portions require handwritten answers. Goodman also has published numerous articles in professional journals and edited several books, some of which have law-related themes. He contends that his prolific history of publishing and other professional accomplishments provide further support that his grades may have been based on something other than the merits of his answers.

To resolve the perceived uncertainty, Goodman requests the opportunity to have his handwritten answers transcribed so that the bar examiner who previously graded Goodman’s answers can review the typed answers. If the answers reflect what the bar examiner thought the handwriting said, then Goodman says he will accept his failing grade. If, however, the typewritten answers show that Goodman should have received a different grade, then Goodman requests that he receive the new grade.

In re Goodman

The Georgia Board of Bar Examiners properly denied the applicant's request to transcribe and regrade his handwritten answers to the Multistate Performance Test portion of the bar examinations.

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