Enyart v. Nat'l. Conf. of Bar Examiners, Inc., No. 10-15286

ADA Action by Blind Bar Exam Taker

In Enyart v. Nat'l. Conf. of Bar Examiners, Inc., No. 10-15286, an action by a legally blind law school graduate under the Americans with Disabilities Act, seeking to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam and the Multistate Bar Exam using a computer equipped with assistive technology software known as JAWS and ZoomText, the court affirmed a preliminary injunction for plaintiff where 1) the district court did not abuse its discretion in holding that plaintiff demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits; and 2) plaintiff demonstrated irreparable harm in the form of the loss of opportunity to pursue her chosen profession.

As the court wrote:  "Stephanie Enyart, a legally blind law school graduate, sought to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam and the Multistate Bar Exam using a computer equipped with assistive technology software known as JAWS and ZoomText. The State Bar of California had no problem with Enyart's request but the National Conference of Bar Examiners refused to grant this particular accommodation. Enyart sued NCBE under the Americans with Disabilities Act seeking injunctive relief."

Related Resources

• Read the Ninth Circuit's Decision in Enyart v. Nat'l. Conf. of Bar Examiners, Inc., No. 10-15286