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INSTRUCTIONS FOR REQUESTING NON-STANDARD TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS (NTA)
The New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners endeavors to provide testing accommodations at no additional cost to candidates with disabilities to the extent such accommodations are reasonable, consistent with the nature and purpose of the examination, and necessitated by the candidate's disabilities. The New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners is a "public entity" covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Please read all application instructions and materials carefully. Applicants requesting accommodations must submit both an online bar examination application and a separate PAPER Non-Standard Testing Accommodations (NTA) Application and related forms.
The ADA provides comprehensive civil rights protection for "qualified individuals with disabilities." An "individual with a disability" is a person who: 1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more "major life activities," 2) has a record of such an impairment, or 3) has an actual or perceived mental or physical impairment that is not transitory and minor and is subjected to an action prohibited under the ADA. "Major life activities" include functions such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing difficulties, learning, and working.
A "qualified" individual with a disability is one who meets the essential eligibility requirements for the examination. However, the Board is not required to take any action that would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the administration of the bar examination.
All requests for testing accommodations are submitted to an independent consulting expert for review and recommendation. After the final late filing deadline, there is not sufficient time for applicants to file proper testing accommodations applications and for the consulting expert to review all documentation and make recommendations.
If you want to use your laptop and you are not requesting special software, you must register for the Laptop Program within the specified deadline. If you are requesting non-standard testing accommodations, it is not necessary to request use of a laptop; however, if you are requesting special software use, such as Dragon, etc., you need to make that request in your non-standard testing accommodations application.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
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Any applicant seeking non-standard testing accommodations for the New Jersey Bar Examination must file the NTA Application form and the NTA Authorization and Release form even if accommodations have been granted for the New Jersey Bar Examination for prior exams. The NTA Certificate of Law School Official and the NTA Certificate of Medical or Psychological Authority must also be provided except as noted in item 2 below.
Applicants are encouraged to file as early as possible. The complete accommodations application (all required forms as shown in item 2 below) must be e-mail dated (using an encrypted e-mail provided by the ADA Coordinator or postmarked to the ADA Accommodations Coordinator NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 30th for the FEBRUARY exam, and NO LATER THAN APRIL 30th for the JULY exam.
If you are a re-applicant, an applicant who sat (you must have actually taken the exam) for the exam immediately preceding the exam for which you are applying, the reapplication deadline will be included in your results letter.
Questions can be emailed to the ADA Coordinator at barada.mailbox@njcourts.gov
Applicants will receive an acknowledgement by December 31st for the February exam and May 31st for the July exam. If you have not received an acknowledgement by the appropriate date, contact the ADA Coordinator at barada.mailbox@njcourts.gov
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The required forms include:
• Non-Standard Testing Accommodations (NTA) Application
• NTA Authorization and Release form
• NTA Certificate of Law School Official
• NTA Certificate of Medical or Psychological Authority (including all relevant medical reports). Reports from doctors and treating professionals must be sufficiently recent and sufficiently detailed to demonstrate a current impairment.
You must keep a copy of all items submitted.
The NTA Application and NTA Authorization and Release form MUST BE SUBMITTED by all NTA applicants.
The NTA Certificate of Law School Official must be submitted even if you requested accommodations which were not granted by your law school. Applicants who have been granted accommodations for the New Jersey Bar Examination within the last three years and who submitted an NTA Certificate of Law School Official do not need to resubmit the NTA Certificate of Law School Official form, but must fulfill all other application requirements.
Generally, applicants whose medical documentation is more than three years old should provide updated documentation detailing the current nature and impact of the applicant's disability on the testing activity.
As the manifestations of a disability may vary over time and in different settings in most cases an evaluation should have been conducted within the past three years.
Documentation should describe in detail the applicant's limitations due to the diagnosed disability, how the disability limits the individual's ability to take the bar examination under standard conditions, a detailed explanation of why the accommodation is needed and how it will reduce the impact of the identified functional limitations. If extra time is recommended the report must explain how the extra time will reduce the impact of the functional limitations.
Applicants who have been granted accommodations for the New Jersey Bar Examination within the last three years and who are requesting the SAME accommodations which were previously granted do not need to resubmit the NTA Certificate of Medical or Psychological Authority, but must fulfill all other application requirements.
Applications filed after the deadline, or which are deemed incomplete (lack the necessary documentation from a law school, lack the necessary documentation from physicians or licensed professionals in a field related to the applicant's disability, or otherwise fail to be filed in accordance with instructions) will be returned without action.
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Applicants who plan to seek additional time must provide thorough, objective documentation that specifically explains the need for additional time.
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The Office of the Secretary of the Board of Bar Examiners will notify each applicant who applies for Non-Standard Testing Accommodations that their application has been granted in full, granted in part, not granted, or is incomplete.
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Accessible locations, usually in central New Jersey, will be used as test sites. Every effort will be made to ensure that these locations are hotels. Details, such as testing accommodations and test locations will be sent out approximately three weeks prior to the test administration.
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Applications for Non-Standard Testing Accommodations are subject to the same standard of candor as the Certified Statement of Candidate for the Committee on Character. The provision of false documentation or information on an application for Non-Standard Testing Accommodations will be referred to the Committee on Character. All information submitted by applicants, law schools, doctors, and treating professionals, is confidential under Rule 1:23-3.
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Any questions or inquiries should be presented in writing to the Assistant Secretary of the Board of Bar Examiners.
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Heather Joy Baker, Esquire
Secretary, New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners
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