ALBANY – Attorneys who have achieved the “gold standard” of a New York law license are concerned that introducing a more nationally oriented bar exam would devalue their accomplishments and cheapen their profession, the president-elect of the state bar association said at a hearing Tuesday.

David Miranda said the 75,000 lawyers represented by his group have “very strong concerns” about the direction that Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman's proposed adoption of the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) would take legal education and the profession.

Miranda said the high regard in which a New York law license is held “must not change or be tinkered with” by making the substantial changes in the state's bar exam without serious consideration first.