Wayne State University: Administratorsā Opposition to Law ¹ū¶³“«Ć½app¹Ł·½ā Calls for āDiploma Privilegeā Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Cases
Wayne State University
Case Overview
In July 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Wayne State University Law School emailed students warning them against advocating for ādiploma privilege,ā which allows qualifying graduates of an in-state law school to gain admission to the state bar without sitting for a bar exam. The email suggested criticizing the Michigan State Barās requirements could jeopardize studentsā ability to pass the āCharacter & Fitnessā portion of the bar screening, during which state bar officials consider whether an applicant has āthe requisite character and fitnessā to practice law. The law school independently attests to the applicantās fitness during this review. On July 13, 2020, FIREwrote to Wayne State Law School with concerns about the chilling effect its email created and called on the law school to publicly clarify it would uphold studentsā First Amendment rights. Three days later, Wayne State Law School affirmed to FIREthat it āardently supports and will actively defendā its studentsā First Amendment and expressive rights.