Say you didn’t/couldn’t go to law school, but you just studied all the subjects really intensively. Is the Bar Exam the only thing you legally need to do in order to practice law?
Say you didn’t/couldn’t go to law school, but you just studied all the subjects really intensively. Is the Bar Exam the only thing you legally need to do in order to practice law?
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I can’t speak for all jurisdictions (though I know some like California have an alternative path to the bar that doesn’t involve law school), but I’m a current law student and I can’t even take the bar without getting a Juris Doctor (a law degree). The state bar sets certain requirements for admission to the practice, including passing a character and fitness test, having a law degree, and, of course, passing the bar itself. So it’s generally not enough to just skip school and study only for the bar.
Is this you, Mike Ross?
Depends on the state. In most of them, no, you have to have been to law school before you can take the bar exam.
Not in real jurisdictions but maybe in the good old Wild West US of A lolol. In all seriousness, not in common law jurisdictions — there’s no “bar” per se and you have to show you’ve passed the priestly 11. In US jurisdictions, there is the ability to clerk into law without attending university, but it still requires a level of studying through work.
I don’t think any state in the US just lets you practice with no education. A few have a path that’s not law school but it’s very strict, several years long, and involves a lot of testing along the way and oversight by a barred lawyer the whole time.
Also, you CAN’T just take the bar.
Only available in California, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. Additional restrictions may apply.
No. 1) You’d have to apprentice and learn the law under the tutelage of a mentor and do other requirements. 2) There are typically character & fitness requirements/ interviews to weed out the truly unscrupulous.
In the US this is only permitted in California Vermont Virginia and Washington.
Yes
Didn’t some Hollywood celebrity take some sort of alternative path to becoming an attorney???
Abe Lincoln didn’t go to law school and look how that turned out. Dude became president and a vampire hunter
from my understanding because I was interested in this, you can’t even sit for the bar exam unless you’ve graduated from a law school, except maybe a couple of states like california under very limited conditions. Being self educated in the law, or “reading the law” went out in the early 1900’s in most places.
Harvey: Mike is that you?
Depends on the state.
Only in Louisiana and if your name is Leonardo.
Cali, Louisiana and the federal patent bar (sort of)
Certain states allow you take the BAR exam sans law school but you’d have to undergo an apprenticeship program
Interresting subject. Imagine is someone made a movie or even a TV series about it.
Personally, I’d call it Shirts… No jackets….. Nooooo wait a second… SUITS!!!! Yes, that is what I would call it..