Colorado Supreme Court
Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel
Promoting Professionalism. Protecting the Public.
TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS
Please read and follow these Guidelines. An applicant must follow these Guidelines carefully or risk receiving a letter indicating that the applicant’s request is incomplete or not approved, and the applicant may not have enough time to rectify the request before the deadline expires.
The Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, an independent office of the Colorado Supreme Court, works to protect and promote the public’s interest. The Colorado Office of Attorney Admissions (“OAA”) within the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel has a mission to protect the public, which includes the following primary functions: licensing of attorneys and licensed legal paraprofessionals (“LLPs”); the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and supporting efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system.
In pursuing these functions and the regulatory objectives set forth by the Colorado Supreme Court, the OAA administers the Uniform Bar Examination (“UBE”) created by the National Conference of Bar Examiners twice a year. The UBE provides a score that a jurisdiction such as Colorado can use to determine competency to practice law. A UBE score achieved in Colorado also can be used for admission in other jurisdictions, subject to the rules and policies of those jurisdictions. The OAA additionally administers the LLP Exam, which is used to determine competency to practice a limited scope of family law. Both exams are administered on a schedule announced on the OAA website.
The OAA is committed to providing access to its programs and services to individuals with documented disabilities. A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities compared to most people in the general population. At the same time, the OAA is committed to ensuring that the security, integrity, and validity of its examinations are not compromised, and that decisions about the administration of each exam are fair to the applicant pool. Likewise, the OAA is committed to ensuring that all individuals licensed to be attorneys or LLPs meet the essential eligibility requirements set forth at C.R.C.P. 208.1(5).
The following information is provided for exam (also referred to as test) applicants, evaluators, educators, and others involved in the process of documenting a request for test accommodations. We strongly recommend applicants requesting a test accommodation share this information with anyone who is providing documentation to support an accommodation request so the appropriate documentation can be assembled.
Approved accommodations are provided at no additional cost to the applicant.
Test accommodations are adaptations that can help ensure that a test measures what it is designed to measure. The purpose of test accommodations is to provide applicants with access to the test. The purpose is not to ensure improved performance, a passing score, test completion, or other specific outcome(s). Providing accommodations to boost test performance is unfair to other applicants and compromises the mission and regulatory objectives of the OAA. Consistent with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, test accommodations are individualized and considered on a case-by-case basis.
Prescription Medicine, Prescription Eye Wear, Water, Snacks and Certain Other Items Do Not Need Prior Approval
The OAA allows applicants to bring certain items related to medical or health needs without the applicant requesting an accommodation or notifying the OAA prior to the exam. For example, an applicant can bring their prescription medicine into the exam room subject to security screening. Applicants are also allowed to have water/drinks that are in a clear plastic container as well as snacks at their testing table, subject to security screening. Over-the-counter medication is also permitted as long as it is packaged within the guidelines set forth in that exam’s Applicant Agreement. The Applicant Agreement also provides a list of items that are automatically permitted in the exam room. Please click HERE to locate your exam’s webpage and associated Applicant Agreement.
Applicants May Notify the OAA About Medical Aids or Devices Before the Exam
An applicant may bring into the exam room a pre-approved medical aid or device. Please click HERE to review instructions about how to notify the OAA about a medical aid or device. Notifying the OAA of a pre-approved medical aid or device is advantageous to the applicant during the security check screening process.
IF, an applicant plans to bring a medical aid or device into the exam room, and the medical aid device is not on the list of pre-approved items, the applicant must notify the OAA prior to the exam so the OAA can plan appropriately. However, the applicant does not need to request an accommodation if the use of the medical device does not affect test time, test conditions, or other facets of test administration. Applicants can notify the OAA of a non-preapproved medical aid or device by emailing bleinfo@csc.state.co.us. Memory aids are not considered medical aids or devices and are not allowed in any OAA exam room.
Applicants Requesting Disability-Related Accommodations Must Follow the Process in These Guidelines
Applicants seeking disability-related accommodations must provide evidence that their condition rises to the level of a disability and provide information about functional limitations and barriers to accessing the exam. Having a diagnosis or meeting the diagnostic criteria for a particular disorder does not automatically mean that an applicant is disabled or is entitled automatically to test accommodations. OAA does not always require a recent diagnosis from a medical professional in order to be granted an accommodation, and accommodations decisions are not made solely on the basis of a diagnosis. The OAA does, however, require evidence that an individual is disabled, and that the disability may have a significant impact on their ability to access an examination.
Individuals with a disability usually can document functional challenges in a variety of different settings, such as school, the workplace, and other daily life activities. For example, if the applicant is working in a job, it is helpful for the OAA to see verification of workplace accommodations that the applicant requires due to the applicant’s disability. Because OAA staff does not meet in-person with applicants—unlike disability services staff at a university—the OAA must rely on the documentation the applicant provides to make accommodations decisions.
Regardless of process, accommodation requests must be received by the OAA by the following deadlines. Instructions on how to submit your request for accommodations are included at the bottom of this webpage. OAA reviews requests on a case-by-case basis, in the order in which they are received.
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Many applicants with disabilities need only modest accommodations in order to meet their access needs, and these can be reviewed and approved more quickly and easily. The emphasis in the STREAMLINED PROCESS is to gather documentation from organizations and/or professionals who know an applicant well that demonstrates the applicant’s ongoing, continued need for accommodations in order to reduce common barriers to access.
Other applicants with disabilities may have more extensive accommodations needs; these individuals may have a larger volume of documentation to review, and there may be complex accommodations implementation considerations. These applicants will need to follow the STANDARD PROCESS and provide sufficient documentation to allow the OAA to fully understand their access needs.
For purposes of these Guidelines, relevant documentation is broken down into the following categories:
The precise requirements of each Category can be found HERE.
The OAA’s licensure exams are administered in group settings with human proctors, with restrictions on what items applicants can take into the exam room. The exams have set schedules and standardized procedures to take the exam, and all exam materials must be visible to proctors and are subject to inspection at any time.
The Bar Exam consists of three parts administered over four sessions, for a total standard test time of 12 hours over two days (the last Tuesday and Wednesday in the months of February and July; an exam will never start on a Monday):
The LLP Exam consists of three parts administered over three sessions, for a total standard test time of 6 hours in a single day:
1. ADHD or learning disorders. Psychologists and doctors may diagnose someone with ADHD or a learning disorder—but as explained above, this diagnosis itself is not required.
2. Temporary disabilities or circumstances. Requests based on a temporary disability such as a broken arm, or temporary circumstances such as pregnancy, will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
3. Anxiety. It is perfectly normal and very common to be anxious during an exam (“test anxiety”). However, accommodations are not provided solely for common test anxiety. If the only impact of the applicant’s condition is anxiety due to test-taking, then it is likely that the ADA would not require an accommodation.
4. Lack of English language proficiency. The OAA does not provide disability-related accommodations to individuals based on lack of proficiency with the English language or when the accommodations request is based on speaking English as a second language (ESL). The exams are administered in English.
5. Deaf. If the applicant is deaf or otherwise hard-of-hearing, a written copy of the check-in procedures and rules can be provided to the applicant. However, since the exam is entirely written, with nothing to listen to in answering exam questions, the applicant should not need a sign language interpreter while taking the exam. The OAA does not translate the exam into any other language, including ASL. As indicated above, accommodations must be relevant to the specific task and setting.
6. Blind or low vision. If the applicant has a visual disorder that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses or other visual aids the applicant may already have, there are many possible accommodations that the OAA could provide, based on an applicant’s specific needs. Be sure to provide information about the applicant’s actual functional limitations, any assistive technology the applicant regularly uses, and what accommodations, devices, or technologies the applicant may need in order to access the exam.
1. Communication with the OAA regarding the applicant’s request.
2. Confidentiality. As to the need for the accommodations request, the OAA staff will ONLY communicate with the applicant, any consultants employed by OAA, and any third party that the applicant has identified in supporting documentation or the applicant otherwise allows the OAA to speak with, as necessary. The OAA does not discuss accommodations issues with anyone else, including parents. The OAA reserves the right to investigate any information provided by the applicant, which may include contact with third parties.
3. Professionalism. Communications should be courteous and professional. Any applicant (or an advocate of an applicant) who engages in verbal abuse, uses profanity or threatening language, or is otherwise unprofessional, may forfeit their right to participate in any OAA service or program, regardless of disability status.
4. Personal statement. It is helpful (but not required) for the applicant to provide a personal statement that explains how the applicant’s disability affects the applicant’s functioning in major life activities or activities of daily living (work, home, school, etc.), and how the applicant expects these limitations might impact equal access to the bar or LLP exam under standard conditions.
1. Applicants are encouraged to submit their request at the time of admission by exam application submission, to ensure there is time to process the request, and to allow for sufficient time to provide the OAA with additional information if there is anything missing from or unclear about their request. Accommodation requests must be submitted by the deadline established for each exam cycle by the OAA. Late requests that are not based on emergent or unforeseen disabilities will NOT be considered for any reason.
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2. Applicants should at the outset decide whether they want to use the STREAMLINED PROCESS or the STANDARD PROCESS and prepare supporting evidence that conforms to the Guidelines for one of these two tracks.
3. Applicants should ensure that contact information is provided for each and every source of information to ensure the OAA can review it and follow-up as needed.
4. Documentation and requests for accommodation should not be submitted in your admissions application. To submit a request for testing accommodations and supporting documentation, please request a Citrix ShareFile® link from bleinfo@csc.state.co.us. Applicants should upload their documents to the personal folder in Citrix ShareFile® that OAA has created for the applicant. Make sure to request a link in advance of the submission deadline. The OAA office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding state holidays. In submitting a request for accommodation and documentation via ShareFile®, an applicant is representing that each digitized document is a complete and accurate representation of the original document. The OAA reserves the right to request production of the original of any uploaded document.
5. Once the Applicant submits their request, the OAA will confirm receipt within approximately 3 business days.
6. Please note that many accommodations requests are reviewed by an independent, external consulting expert.
7. Accommodations requests are reviewed in the order in which they are received. To be fair to all applicants, the OAA does not “expedite” requests.
8. The OAA is unable to process incomplete requests. If the request is incomplete, meaning that it does not conform to the Category requirements and/or provide enough information that would allow the OAA to make a decision, the OAA will notify the applicant of information that is missing.
9. After the OAA has made and notified the applicant of a decision, if the applicant believes the OAA has made the wrong decision, the applicant may appeal to the OAA to ask for reconsideration. The applicant should include a specific reason for the appeal and additional documentation beyond what was included with the applicant’s original request. Information about the appeals policy is found HERE.