Arkansas Bar Exam Scandal: Former Court Official Nancie Givens Faces 65 Felony Counts Over Alleged Score Tampering
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS — November 12, 2026. Former Arkansas Supreme Court Office of Professional Programs executive director Nancie Michelle Givens, 62, faces 65 felony counts of tampering with a public record after investigators uncovered alleged manipulation of bar examination scores between July 2020 and July 2025. Givens has pleaded not guilty, and the allegations have not been proven in court.
What investigators say happened
In a November 5 joint statement, six Arkansas Supreme Court justices said an internal review found discrepancies across at least eight bar examination administrations. The court said evidence indicates that points were taken from some candidates’ scores and added to others, lifting some scores to Arkansas’s passing threshold of 270 or above. At least one person who otherwise would have passed may instead have received a failing score. In another instance, the candidate who earned the highest score allegedly lost that distinction after scores were changed.
About 11,400 records missing or altered
The court said roughly 11,400 files and electronic communications were deleted or made unavailable in early January 2026, including applications, candidate profiles and score sheets that were supposed to be retained for 25 years. Following Givens’s February resignation, Robert Brech reviewed the office’s records and alerted authorities. The FBI and Arkansas State Police opened a criminal investigation in April.
Did Black candidates have scores lowered while white candidates benefited?
That allegation is circulating on social media, but the official court statements and publicly available reporting reviewed by Brownstone Worldwide do not establish the race of the candidates whose scores were changed, nor a deliberate scheme favoring white candidates over Black candidates. The claim should not be reported as fact without evidence. What has been documented is alleged score shifting that may have unfairly harmed some candidates and benefited others, regardless of their race. Whether racial discrimination was involved remains an unanswered question, not a confirmed conclusion.
What happens to the candidates?
The justices emphasized that the vast majority of people told they passed actually did pass. The court is working to recover missing data and reassess affected test results. Officials say candidates whose status is definitively affected will be notified. The case could raise difficult questions about professional licensing, lost career opportunities and remedies for people harmed by inaccurate results.
Criminal case and disciplinary action
Arkansas court records show Givens entered a not-guilty plea November 5, with a $2,500 bond set and a review hearing scheduled for January 4, 2027. Her Arkansas law license was placed under interim suspension. The criminal case is pending, and Givens retains the presumption of innocence.
Brownstone Worldwide: What is at stake?
Bar examination scores can determine whether a law graduate can enter the legal profession. If the allegations are substantiated, they could represent a serious breach of trust affecting candidates, clients and the justice system itself. Investigators must establish who was affected, how scores were changed, whether any discriminatory pattern existed, and what corrective action is appropriate.
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Sources: Arkansas Supreme Court joint statement, November 5; Arkansas Chief Justice press release; Arkansas criminal court docket; Reuters, November 6; NEA Report, November 12.
Featured image is an editorial illustration; the pictured documents are symbolic and do not reproduce actual candidate records.
