Why passing the bar exam will no longer be a requirement to become an attorney in Washington state
Bar exam disproportionately blocks 'marginalized groups' from becoming lawyers, 'minimally effective' for ensuring competency, state task force finds
Prospective lawyers will no longer have to pass the bar exam to work in Washington, the state Supreme Court ruled in a pair of orders authorizing alternative pathways to licensing.
The exam "disproportionately and unnecessarily blocks marginalized groups from entering the practice of law" and is "at best minimally effective for ensuring competent lawyers," the Bar Licensure Task Force determined.
"In addition to the racism and classism written into the test itself the time and financial costs of the test reinforce historical inequities in our profession," the task force wrote in its proposal for the change, released last month.
Washington's Supreme Court appointed the task force to study alternative ways to show competency in 2020, after pandemic-related modifications "caused many to question the efficacy of the current exam," according to the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts.
The goal was to improve trust in the legal profession, reduce barriers to entry into the legal field, and "advance the cause of diversity equity and inclusion," according to the bar task force.
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Bar exam disproportionately blocks 'marginalized groups' from becoming lawyers, 'minimally effective' for ensuring competency, state task force finds
Prospective lawyers will no longer have to pass the bar exam to work in Washington, the state Supreme Court ruled in a pair of orders authorizing alternative pathways to licensing.
The exam "disproportionately and unnecessarily blocks marginalized groups from entering the practice of law" and is "at best minimally effective for ensuring competent lawyers," the Bar Licensure Task Force determined.
"In addition to the racism and classism written into the test itself the time and financial costs of the test reinforce historical inequities in our profession," the task force wrote in its proposal for the change, released last month.
Washington's Supreme Court appointed the task force to study alternative ways to show competency in 2020, after pandemic-related modifications "caused many to question the efficacy of the current exam," according to the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts.
The goal was to improve trust in the legal profession, reduce barriers to entry into the legal field, and "advance the cause of diversity equity and inclusion," according to the bar task force.
Why passing the bar exam will no longer be a requirement to become an attorney in Washington state
Prospective lawyers in Washington may soon be able to skip the bar exam, after the state Supreme Court approved alternative pathways in an effort to boost diversity.
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