In Re: Committee On Bar Admissions Cfn-80170

Supreme Court of Louisiana
June 05, 2024
Chief Deputy Clerk of Court
For the Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Louisiana
IN RE: COMMITTEE ON BAR
ADMISSIONS CFN-80170 No. 2024-BA-00531
_ _
_ _ _ _
I
N RE: Confidential Party - Applicant Other; Petition for the Appointment of a
Commissioner;
_ _ _ _ _ _
June 05, 2024
Admission denied. See per curiam.
JBM
JLW
JDH
SJC
JTG
WJC
PDG
06/05/2024 "See News Release 027 for any Concurrences and/or Dissents."

S
UPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA
NO. 2
024-BA-0531
I
N RE: COMMITTEE ON BAR ADMISSIONS CFN-80170
B
AR ADMISSIONS PROCEEDING
P
ER CURIAM
P
etitioner sat for the February 2024 Louisiana bar examination, which was
administered by the Committee on Bar Admissions (“Committee”) at the
Pontchartrain Center on February 19, 21, and 23, 2024. On Wednesday, February
21, petitioner entered the Pontchartrain Center with writing on the palm of his left
hand. The Committee made this discovery after petitioner had taken the Torts exam
and before the next exam (Business Entities) was scheduled to begin.
The Committee subsequently conducted an investigation of the incident. The
investigation included a review of photographs of petitioner’s hand. The Committee
also took the sworn statement of the security officer who first discovered the writing
on petitioner’s hand, and reviewed surveillance footage from the Pontchartrain
Center. Finally, the Committee obtained a written statement from petitioner dated
February 28, 2024, in which he denied any intention to cheat.
At the conclusion of its investigation, the Committee determined that
petitioner “entered the testing facility with study material written on [his] hand,” and
that the study material related to the Torts exam. The Committee determined that
this conduct constitutes (1) cheating on the bar exam ; (2) d ishonest and deceptive
conduct; and (3) a violation of the Code of Conduct. Accordingly, by letter dated
March 27, 2024, the Committee declined to certify petitioner for admission to the
bar. By letter dated April 26, 2024, the Committee informed petitioner that his
06/05/2024

2

“scores for the February 2024 bar examination have been invalidated” and he has
“received zeros on each of the nine sections of the bar examination.”
Thereafter, petitioner filed the instant application in this court, seeking the
appointment of a commissioner to take character and fitness evidence. The
Committee filed a response to the petition, arguing that petitioner cheated on the bar
exam and that he should be permanently denied admission as a result.
Supreme Court Rule XVII, § 8(D) addresses cheating on the bar exam. The
rule provides:
In the event the Court determines that an applicant
cheated, aided or assisted another applicant in
cheating on the written examination, or attempts to
cheat or aid or assist another in cheating, the applicant
shall fail the examination and the Court may
permanently prohibit the applicant from reapplying. If
the applicant has already been admitted, the Court may
order that disciplinary proceedings under La. S. Ct. Rule
XIX be commenced. [Emphasis added.]

In the instant case, we have determined that petitioner brought study materials
into the examination facility in the form of Torts notes written on the palm of his left
hand. We further find that such conduct constituted cheating by petitioner.
As we observed in In re: Lamont, 04-2364 (La. 4/4/06), 929 So. 2d 1228, and
In re: Rojas , 04 -1819 (La. 4/4/06), 929 So. 2d 1229 , “[c] heating on the bar
examination is a particularly egregious act of dishonesty which we cannot excuse or
overlook.” Therefore, we will deny petitioner’s application for the appointment of
a commissioner. Petitioner shall be permanently denied admission to the Louisiana
bar.

ADMISSION DENIED.