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And if you are struggling, please talk about it. It's normal, you're valid, and I hear you.

Huge congrats to all my former students (and all you students out there) for completing the bar exam. Post bar exam blues are a real thing. Don't be surprised if the shock of everything hits you over the next couple of days. You did enough. You are enough. Everything will be ok. Get some rest. ❤️

If alternative remedies worked for ADHD, those of us with ADHD would have hyperfocused on them and EVERYONE would know.

My points are directed at Matt's broader post which does not start from where you start of asking questions. Matt uses his personal observations and experiences to make generalizations about an issue that is highly individualized for a reason. I hope you'll agree, there are flaws to that approach.

To be clear, I agree with your framing. Though I do think it's worth mentioning that folks are doing that research (especially if you are talking to Kate) rather than leaving it open ended as "research and data" would be nice.

This is the short version of what it’s like to get an accommodation perma.cc/577X-272M and this is the longer law review article version digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/aulr/vol72/i.... The process is so arduous that I describe it as discriminatory.

Disability law professors like @katmacfarlane.bsky.social have been writing extensively about this issue. Kat has a new paper out that pushes back on many of his points: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... Always a good idea to start with the experts before stepping out of our academic lanes.

I had a panic attack in my first exam in law school. I spent the first hour, minimum, of the exam just trying not to vomit or pass out. I didn’t know to ask for accommodations, so I got a D on the exam, ruined my GPA for the year, and considered quitting entirely.

I know exactly what you mean. A few folks have suggested that I'm operating in bad faith / reading the post with bad faith. One suggested I'm misreading it entirely -- it's just "academic discourse." It makes you feel crazy, especially when others aren't saying anything.

This is a good point. I use "lmao" a lot almost like a crutch word in all sorts of discourse. I notice this with folks my age too. Hadn't really thought about it.

Thinking about that and actually working toward it would do so much more to help students, lawyers and the profession more than the same reductive conversations about accommodations being an advantage. People need what they need, and extended time is grueling, not an extra point factory.

And we’re back on SSRN! Debating Accommodations addresses extra time, malingering, the (bad) ADHD studies, and most importantly, the applicable law. Which as law profs we need to be talking about every time we have this convo. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Appreciate you. It's scary calling out profs, especially ones I genuinely admire. Matt is actually good people. He's also wrong here.

This is personally where my head is at! And we accept the flaws that come with it. I'll just note that some folks might have other goals which is ok. I actually started out as a just pass the exam prof. I've shifted to where you're at now 2 years in. Different strokes etc.

Oh sweet!!! Thank you!!

BUT WHAT WE ARE ESPECIALLY NOT GOING TO DO IS PROJECT OUR AI PANIC ONTO STUDENTS WITH ACCOMMODATIONS. That's where I get concerned -- the overcorrection to solve problems that have always been there and will always be there will be most detrimental to our students.

No one should be telling you that take home exams are dead or making you feel bad for using them or not using them. Unless someone comes up with the perfect exam (and they never will) these problems will remain.

You could write more nuanced fact patterns or better rubrics (you should!) but there will still be tradeoffs. And the point is -- that's ok. You have academic freedom for a reason. You get to decide what works for you and your class.

There are no good solutions. You could decide to move all exams to closed/supervised. That might solve most of your problems, but there will still be tradeoffs. Students can still cheat, some students will be disadvantaged under these conditions.

Just a note -- my goal with this thread is to emphasize a broader point: all law school exams are inherently flawed. No matter what system you pick, there will be tradeoffs like equity, rising bottom, etc. This was true before AI and it will be true for whatever comes next.