A hands-on approach to learning is one of the best ways to become competent in a subject. The dream would be for law school to produce students capable of practicing as soon as they cross the stage, but most states have a long way to go before diploma privilege. That said, we are seeing a growing number of states experiment with experiential learning as a path to practice, and Utah could be the next up. From Reuters:
Utah is forging ahead with a proposal to allow law graduates to become licensed without taking the bar exam, following the lead of a handful of other states that have adopted alternative licensing pathways in recent years.
The Utah Supreme Court on Monday released a plan to allow graduates of American Bar Association-accredited law schools to practice in the state after completing 240 hours of practice under the supervision of an experienced attorney, along with other requirements. Law graduates could still opt to sit for the bar exam.
The great thing about the proposed plan is that it increases opportunities rather than switching to one end-all, be-all minting process. Three cheers for the aspiring lawyers who know their stuff and can do the work but fight bouts of test-specific performance anxiety!
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Utah’s Supreme Court is holding a public comment period that will run until December 19th. Make your voice heard!
No Bar Exam? Utah Considers It. [Reuters]
Earlier: Is The NextGen Bar Really Next Up?
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Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s. He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by tweet at @WritesForRent.