sara granda, disabled law grad, wins fight with state bar to take exam.

[cynthia]

You all may have heard of Sara Granda, the UC Davis School of Law graduate whose application to take the July California Bar exam was denied due to a processing error. Sara is also quadriplegic.  

I called Sara today, to talk about the decision of the State Bar to deny her application, and the long road ahead of her to the February exam. During our conversation, Sara got a call from her lawyer.

Sara will be joining all the other would-be lawyers at convention centers across the state tomorrow: she'll be taking the exam.

Sara sounded thrilled by the news, but also concerned. In the 10 days since the state bar's initial decision, she hasn't spent anytime studying. Instead, she's been dealing with the "overwhelming" outpouring of support and media attention. 

"It just shows you how many people really care," she said. "I wouldn't give up. I never gave up."

(Sara's tenacity is something close to legendary, and her not giving up was mentioned several times in our conversation.)

In a pretty marked reversal from their recent comments that are basically akin to "oh, the rules apply to everyone!" the State Bar will allow Sara to take the exam, despite the fact that she paid her application fees via check rather than online (the original reason for the denial).

Sara was pretty subdued when I asked her how she responded to those comments by the state bar representatives. She acknowledged that she thought they were referencing her disability when State Bar Deputy Executive Director Robert Hawley told the Sacramento Bee:

"It's a high-tech process, and people need to maneuver it successfully, and we can't be in the business of helping any one person out with it," he said. "That takes us down a path that ends up in a place we don't want to be. How do you then choose which ones to help and which you don't?"

"That seems like a big cop out," Sara said. "In my situation, there are two people, if that, who graduate a year."

For more on Sara's story, including the governor's involvement, check out the Cal Law story here (free reg. req.).

Comments

[Irene Johnson]

I need to contact Mrs. Sara Granda, please this a desperate serch a inmate case acuse with a criminal case need your help or advace, please let me know how to contact you by mail so she can write you, Thank you so much.
God bless you,

[Account Deleted]

process, and people need to maneuver it successfully, and we can't be in the business of helping any one person out with it," he said. "That takes us down a path that ends up in a place we don't want to be. How do you then choose which ones to help and which you don't?"
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