California Supreme Court Rejects State Bar’s Proposed Portfolio Bar Examination (PBE)

By Jamie Russo On October 10, 2024, the California Supreme Court declined to adopt the State Bar’s proposed alternative pathway to licensure, the Portfolio Bar Examination (PBE). The PBE’s supervised practice model would have enabled graduates of accredited law schools Continue reading

California to Hold February 2022 Bar Examination In-Person

By James Lanham On February 22–23, 2022, applicants for the California State Bar will take the California Bar Examination in person. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Bar began administering exams remotely on October 5-6, 2020. [see 26:1 CRLR 123] Continue reading

State Bar Concludes Investigation on July 2021 Bar Exam Technological Issues

By James Lanham On September 27, 2021, the State Bar published a news release announcing the conclusion of its investigation into technological issues experienced by remote Bar Exam takers in July of 2021. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Bar Continue reading

Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of the Bar Exam Commences Meetings

By James Lanham On September 1, 2021, the Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of the Bar Exam held its second meeting.[Part 1, Part 2]  In 2020, the California Supreme Court and the Board of Trustees established the Blue Ribbon Continue reading

California Supreme Court Approves Expansion of Provisional Licensure Program

By Juan M. Villalvazo On January 28, 2021, the Supreme Court of California issued an order approving the State Bar of California’s proposed amendments to Rules 9.49 and 9.49.1 of the California Rules of Court to expand the Provisional Licensure Continue reading

The COVID-19 Pandemic Brings Significant Changes to the California Bar Examination

By Juan M. Villalvazo The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc in recent months on the legal profession’s most important requisite for licensure—the Bar exam. With giant convention centers full of thousands of test-takers being infeasible during the pandemic, the California Continue reading

Committee of Bar Examiners Receives and Files Technical Report on the October 2019 First-Year Law Students’ Exam

By Halie Turigliatti At its January 31, 2020 meeting, the State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) voted to receive and file its psychometric consultant’s Technical Report on the October 2019 First-Year Law Students’ Examination. The report includes Continue reading

Committee of Bar Examiners Tables Vote Regarding Notice of Intent to Terminate Pacific Coast University School of Law’s Accreditation

By Halie Turigliatti At the Committee of Bar Examiners’ (CBE) meeting on January 31, 2020, the Committee considered staff’s recommendation that CBE issue a notice of intent to terminate the California State Bar’s accreditation of Pacific Coast University School of Continue reading