Share this article PROVO, Utah, Jan. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BYU Law, a leading national law school focused on leadership in the legal profession, today announced that this year's Law and Leadership Conference, January 29, will be a virtual event focusing on "Paths to Bar Licensure" to examine features and shortcomings of the bar examination, which have been underscored by pandemic-related challenges this past year. "Each year, BYU Law School hosts a Law and Leadership Conference on an issue of current importance inviting leaders to discuss how we might change the world for the better using our legal education," said D. Gordon Smith, Dean, BYU Law. "Following the historic decision by several states, including Utah, to adopt an emergency diploma privilege in the summer of 2020 and recognizing the known racial, gender, and other biases present in traditional bar examinations, this year's topic is 'Paths to Bar Licensure.' In 2020, a pandemic and global racial upheaval have combined to trigger a reconsideration of bar examinations as the gateway to licensure. We invite everyone interested in learning more about this important topic to join us in this virtual conference, where we will examine the features and shortcomings of the bar examination and other potential paths to bar licensure."