Chief Judge Janet DiFiore says New York's online bar exam this fall is a "sound alternative" as the United States remains in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Her comments came Monday in a video statement. The state Court of Appeals last week said the state bar exam would be administered remotely in October.

The court previously canceled an in-person exam, joining other states across the nation.

"While the October online testing option may not be a perfect solution, we believe that it is a sound alternative that best serves everyone's [interest] at this unprecedented time of extraordinary stress and uncertainty for the law school class of 2020," DiFiore said in the video statement.

DiFiore said she had appointed a working group to make recommendations on the best way forward. That group, she said, determined the online bar exam option could offer a speedy way to licensure while making sure the candidates meet the high standard for bar admission.

The group consulted with outside experts and examined grading, security and access issues related to an online bar exam, she said.