Utah Supreme Court asking for public comment on bar exam proposal

SALT LAKE CITY — The state Supreme Court is considering a proposal to allow Utah law graduates to become lawyers without passing the bar exam.

They are currently asking for public comment on a proposal that would provide an alternative to the bar.

This option would require students to spend a period of time with a mentor after graduating from an American Bar Association-approved law school.

“Maybe you’d call it an apprenticeship… Where lawyers are required to work with other lawyers in some capacity, maybe for a year… Gain some experience and do some things that might be just as valuable as taking the bar exam,” KSL Legal Analyst Greg Skordas said. 

Students would receive their license after completing this 240 hour apprenticeship. 

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Skordas says he believes the bar exam is a fair barometer for assessing the competency of law graduates. But he says it doesn’t necessarily need to be the only way.

“It’s really just a two-day test. And sometimes that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to be a great lawyer down the road,” he said.

States like Oregon, Wisconsin, New Hampshire and Washington have already done away with the bar requirement. Arizona and Minnesota are now considering the apprenticeship program as a legal alternative.

According to the American Bar association, 88% of graduates who take the bar in Utah pass. Public comment on the proposal closes on December 19th.