Dear Graduates,

One week from today, this long and solid period of trial and tribulation will be behind you!  You will no doubt celebrate in grande style on Wednesday evening and will have achieved your goal of success on the Bar Exam.  (Those of you in NJ, MA, CA, WA, and a few other venues will not be quite finished until next Thursday, but the sentiments are the same—you did it!)

Here are some pieces of information for you:

Florida Bar Exam Virtual Tour:  If you have not taken a look, do so:  http://www.floridabarexam.org/public/main.nsf/VT.PDF/$file/VT.PDF  The Board of Bar Examiners is interested in your feedback, so if you have thoughts, please email me so I can communicate to them when I meet with them next Tuesday afternoon.

Getting There:  You should be walking through the turnstiles at the Tampa Convention Center by 8:30 a.m.  That means that you have checked in downstairs at the street level, deposited any contraband in the check room, used the rest room, and are in a relaxed state by 8:30.  I will be available for any assistance you may require on Tuesday morning.

Luncheon in Tampa:  The School has provided a buffet luncheon for you on both Tuesday and Wednesday in Ballroom C, on the street level of the Tampa Convention Center (down the escalator from the Examination Hall).  The buffet consists of cold cuts—meats and cheeses, salads, rolls, desserts, tea, coffee and water.  You can be as healthy as you want to be!

Dean’s Certificates for Florida:  These are being sent electronically today, with several exceptions with whom we are still working to get completed grades.  Those individuals have been notified and their certificates will be mailed as they are completed.  If you completed the blue form in the Office of the Registrar, your FL certificate will be sent today.

Transcripts:  Official transcripts ordered by you through the Registrar’s link, www.law.miami.edu/registrar are sent upon your request.

Birth Certificates:  Several have asked why they were required to send an official copy of their birth certificate when others were not.  I tried to discern a pattern—terrorist? slacker? liar?  No, none of the above.  As it turns out, all applicants will be required to do this in the future.  Those who applied early to Florida slid in before the new rule took effect.

Make the remaining days count!   Be diligent now, then confident and relaxed next Tuesday.  If you have any questions along the way, please email me. 

Good luck on the Bar Exam!  Just do it—pass this thing!

William P. VanderWyden, Esq.

Associate Dean of Students

University of Miami School of Law, Suite 212

P.O. Box 248087

Coral Gables, Florida  33124