The software company responsible for California’s technology-plagued February 2025 bar exam has agreed to pay $1.35 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought by thousands of test takers who paid fees for a system that failed them on one of the most important days of their professional lives.
Under the proposed settlement filed Friday in federal court, approximately 4,100 examinees who sat for the February 2025 California bar exam would each receive a full refund of the $153 laptop fee they were required to pay to take the test using Meazure Learning’s software.
The settlement is subject to preliminary approval by US District Judge Jon Tigar of the Northern District of California, who is scheduled to consider the agreement on January 27.
What Went Wrong
The February 2025 California bar exam became one of the most widely publicized testing failures in recent memory. Thousands of law school graduates sat down to take the exam using Meazure Learning’s remote testing software and encountered widespread technical problems that disrupted their ability to complete the test under normal conditions.
The failures drew national attention and immediate criticism from bar associations, law school deans, and aspiring lawyers who had spent years preparing for an exam that determines whether they can practice law. For many, the February sitting represented their second or third attempt after previous failures, adding to the pressure of the day.
Settlement Terms
The proposed agreement breaks down as follows:
The roughly 4,100 February 2025 bar examinees will each receive a $153 refund representing the full amount they paid for the required laptop testing fee. For most claimants that is the entirety of their individual recovery.
The seven named plaintiffs who led the class action will each receive $10,000 as recognition of their work in bringing and pursuing the case on behalf of all affected test takers.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys are projected to receive up to $450,000 in fees plus nearly $28,000 in litigation costs from the settlement fund.
Any funds that go unclaimed will be directed to the California Lawyers Foundation, a nonprofit focused on improving access to justice and increasing diversity in the legal profession.
A Second Settlement for Meazure Learning
This class action settlement is the second major resolution Meazure Learning has reached over the February 2025 exam failure. In July 2026, the company settled a separate lawsuit brought by the State Bar of California itself, agreeing to pay the bar $5.25 million and forgo an outstanding $1.36 million payment the bar owed the company.
Combined, Meazure Learning’s legal exposure from the single failed exam now exceeds $6.6 million across both settlements.
What This Means for Bar Exam Technology
The California debacle sparked broader questions about the rapid shift toward remote and software-based bar exam administration that accelerated during the COVID pandemic and continued afterward.
Several states moved to technology-based testing solutions over traditional pen-and-paper formats, citing efficiency and convenience. Critics argued the shift introduced new failure points that traditional testing never faced, and that the consequences of a technical failure fall entirely on applicants rather than vendors.
The Meazure Learning settlements may prompt bar examining authorities to demand stronger contractual protections and financial guarantees from testing vendors before future administrations.
What Affected Examinees Should Do
If you took the February 2025 California bar exam and paid the $153 laptop fee, you are likely a class member and entitled to a refund under the proposed settlement.
Watch for a formal notice from the settlement administrator with instructions on how to confirm your participation. Because the refund amount is fixed at $153 and there are only around 4,100 class members, the claims process is expected to be straightforward.
No payment will be made until Judge Tigar grants final approval, which will not happen before the January 27 hearing.
InjuryWatch News will track the court’s ruling on preliminary approval and the timeline for distribution to class members.