The Diane F. Bosse Award for Excellence and Service in Bar Admissions was established in 2024 to honor a bar examiner who emulates the ideals that Diane embodied—leadership, vision, integrity, and extraordinary service in bar admissions—to enshrine Diane’s legacy and commitment to service in our community, and to inspire a new generation of bar examiners. The award is given to a state bar examiner or board member who demonstrates leadership, integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to serving the legal profession through bar admissions in their own jurisdiction and beyond to help ensure a competent, ethical, and diverse legal profession.
Diane F. Bosse was appointed by the Court of Appeals to the New York Board of Law Examiners in 1998, after having served for 19 years as an assistant to the Board, and served as chair of the Board from 2001 to 2020. She was a member of NCBE’s Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2008 and served as its chair from 2006 to 2007. In addition to her service in New York and on NCBE’s Board, Diane served on numerous NCBE committees, including as a member of the Testing Task Force and Implementation Steering Committee for the NextGen bar exam. She played a significant role in laying the groundwork for adding Civil Procedure to the Multistate Bar Examination and was instrumental in envisioning the Uniform Bar Exam, which has resulted in score portability for over 60,000 newly licensed lawyers.
Diane’s decades of hard work and dedication to bar admissions and legal education have had a profound impact on thousands of lawyers, law students, and the profession itself. Her service to the betterment of American lawyer licensing is an inspiration to us all.
For more information about the award, including eligibility criteria and deadlines, consult the 2025 Call for Nominations PDF document.
Please submit nominations via the online nomination form.