ORLANDO, Fla. — The Florida Board of Bar Examiners has cut ties with the company behind the Florida Bar exam software.

The move comes after software glitches forced the board to postpone the exam for a third time Wednesday, delaying hundreds of future attorneys the opportunity of getting a job. The postponement came after people complained about security breaches and technical glitches with the online software that was being used for the exam.

A group of current and future Florida lawyers has filed a petition to waive the bar exam requirement.

For Justin Donovan, studying for the Florida Bar Exam has consumed his life for the past 3 years. His goal is to practice family law and advocate for children caught in the middle of domestic issues.

"That’s all I want to do is help people," Donovan said.

Help, Donovan said, that is now on hold, along with his job prospects —  prospects that require him to pass the Florida Bar Exam. 

“I’m one person. There are people who have it much worse than me," Donovan said.

In a petition filed Thursday, law students across Florida shared their stories and concerns, such as losing university health care and not being able to find work because they are not licensed.

“Most employers want you to have this license before they pay you full value," Florida A&M University professor Reginald Mitchell explained.

In July, the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, or FBBE, canceled the in-person exam because of the coronavirus pandemic, scheduling an online exam for August. The board announced the company ILG Technologies would provide the software program.

That same month, both Nevada and Indiana —  states also using ILG’s software, postponed their online bar exams because of technical issues.

FBBE Chair David Reeves declined a remote interview, but he said the issues they discovered in Florida were new. He said they tried to fix those glitches but ran out of time.

As COVID-19 continues to impact families in many ways, Donovan said he believes attorneys are more critical than ever.

“That’s why most law students and examinees became lawyers —  to help people —  and right now, the public is not being served by that," Donovan said.

Regarding diploma privileges, Reeves said the board and the Supreme Court of Florida have to balance students’ hardship with protecting the public —  and part of that is requiring a bar exam.

The bar exam is now scheduled for some time in October.