Susan Arbetter is reporting for State of Politics New York officials are warning the state will need thousands of additional pro bono attorneys to deal with new cases stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. While fledgling lawyers are well-suited for the work, the Court of Appeals has delayed the state bar exam until September. Henry M. Greenberg, President of the New York State Bar Association said the Court of Appeals is developing rules that would allow graduating law students to practice law under certain circumstances. They would be allowed to practice with the understanding that they would eventually take the bar exam. But what happens if they practice for 18 months, or so, while the pandemic dies down? Touro College Provost Patricia Salkin says, “It kind of seems silly. You’re now a year and a half, two years removed from your graduation date, and now you have to go back and study for your bar exam that’s testing mostly rote memorization.” Law school deans from around the state agree, and have written a letter to the court. Greenberg says the bar is working on meeting the state’s projected need for pro bono attorneys. “The bar is in the process of developing the existing resources in New York statewide, from Niagara Falls to Montauk, to make sure we have a sufficient number of attorneys that can provide pro bono services,” he said. Read the full story at NYStateofPolitics [dot] com.