I just received a Notice of Charges from the New York State Board of Law Examiners (BOLE), and I’m freaking out. They’re alleging that I sped up or advanced segments of the New York Law Course (NYLC) videos in violation of Board Rule 6000.13. As a result, I’ve been removed from the April 2025 NYLE and can’t register for future exams while the charges are pending.
What happened:
-I started the NYLC on my computer 2 days before the due date but had to switch to my iPad while traveling home to visit family.
-I was on a train using a hotspot when I completed the last few videos, and I know I started late but I had more than enough time to finish all of the videos before the deadline
-My iPad had a Chrome extension (which I forgot about) that may have altered playback speed for the last four videos I watched. I truly wasn't paying attention to it, and was just answering the questions.
-They’re also claiming an audit from the day before, but I was on my computer then, so I have no idea how that could have happened.
-My connection kept cutting out, which might have caused the videos to skip forward or back.
- To my recollection, this issue only affected the last few videos, not my entire NYLC.
- I never intended to violate any rules. Now, I have to submit a Verified Answer within 30 days (under penalty of perjury) to respond to the charges.
Questions:
-Should I request a hearing?
-Would it help to offer to retake the NYLC?
-Has anyone successfully disputed a BOLE audit finding?
- Should I hire an attorney? I really can’t afford one, so can I handle this myself?
I really don’t want this to affect my bar admission. Any advice would be hugely appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
