More than 1,300 people have signed an online petition asking the Colorado Supreme Court and the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel to allow for licensure of law school graduates without having to take an in-person exam scheduled for July 28-29.

Colorado Law Students for Diploma Privilege, as the Internet effort calls itself, is asking people to contact the attorney general’s office, the court, and the counsel’s office, which administers the bar exam. Jessica Yates, the state’s attorney regulation counsel, told CPR that she was reluctant to support a change in licensure requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clients “want the confidence that the attorney that they are hiring or the attorney who is appointed to the system in their matter is someone who they can trust and they can have confidence in their abilities,” she said.

She added that people with health concerns could wait to take the test until next year or go to a state with a delayed exam. According to the National Conference of Bar Examiners, 15 states in addition to Colorado are holding July tests. The remainder have a September or October exam, allow for remote administration, or have set some other date after July.

One recent law graduate who asked to remain anonymous but had planned to take Colorado’s bar exam said that people who were already registered would potentially lose thousands of dollars by canceling and taking the test in another state.

“Many states are limiting bar seats and may not have room to accommodate candidates who signed up months ago,” the person said. “We cannot take an exam in another state.”

On Wednesday morning, proponents for the petition delivered copies of the document and testimonials to each Colorado Supreme Court justice’s office and the Office of Attorney Admissions.

The court published a list of testing protocols on June 12, which include temperature checks and mandatory mask wearing. “The Court and [Office of Attorney Admissions] will continually assess current public health conditions and will give applicants as much notice as is possible of any changes,” the notice advises. “The prevalence of COVID-19 has created a fluid environment that requires flexibility on the part of the Court, OAA, and bar examination applicants.”

This story has been updated with additional developments.