Admissions
WHAT WE DO
Working as an administrative arm of the California Supreme Court, the State Bar oversees all activities required for admitting attorneys to the practice of law in the nation’s most populous state. The State Bar develops, administers, and grades the California Bar Examination and conducts moral character investigations required for admission. The agency administers programs for several admissions pathways beyond graduation from a traditional, nationally accredited law school. Designed to broaden access to the legal profession, these multiple pathways also create unique challenges for the State Bar’s admissions system.
California is unique in offering its own accreditation for law schools, an effort overseen by the Committee of Bar Examiners. The State Bar regulates two types of law schools: California-accredited law schools and registered (unaccredited) law schools.
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Bar exam applicants tested
Applicants granted testing accommodations
Moral character applications reviewed
New attorneys admitted
Provisionally licensed lawyers to date
Bar exam attendance up, scores slightly down in 2023
2023 saw bar exam scores for February and July down slightly as compared with 2022. Nearly 65 percent of July 2023 first-time bar exam test-takers passed, while the overall pass rate was 51.5 percent. Applicant attendance for the 2023 bar exam once again did not reach pre-COVID-19 levels. However, attendance was up for both the 2023 February and July bar exams compared to 2022.
Admissions program cuts costs, increases fees to address years of structural deficit
With the admissions program running a structural deficit for years, in 2023, the State Bar worked to close this gap on both ends, by increasing revenues and cutting costs. Exam costs were cut by reducing bar exam locations for the February 2024 exam, while staff began to explore other exam administration options, including remote and test center-based exams. In September 2023, the Board approved increases for most admissions fees.
Proposals to define the future of bar admissions submitted to California Supreme Court
After nearly two years of work, the Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of the Bar Exam submitted its final report to the California Supreme Court in May 2023, recommending that California develop its own bar exam. Later in the year, the Board of Trustees sent a companion proposal to the Court, recommending exploration of an alternative pathway to licensure through a pilot Portfolio Bar Exam. If approved by the Court, the pilot would allow a cohort of approximately 100 Provisional Licensure Program participants to complete an additional 700 to 1,000 hours of legal work under the supervision of a licensed California attorney. They would then submit work product portfolios to be evaluated by independent graders appointed by the State Bar. Those whose portfolios pass a newly established minimum competence cut score could achieve licensure without taking the bar exam.
Board approves changes to testing accommodations rules
After undergoing several refinements following three rounds of public comment, the Board of Trustees approved proposed rule changes on testing accommodations for State Bar exams. The proposed changes, which have been submitted to the California Supreme Court for approval, aim to eliminate unnecessary barriers that do not further the State Bar’s public protection mission, streamline processes, create greater transparency and consistency in admissions functions, and comply with applicable laws. Developed by the Committee of Bar Examiners, updates include automatically approving requests for those with prior approvals on high-stakes exams.