California Supreme Court OKs Law Licenses To 2,000 Applicants Who Failed The Bar Exam Since July 2015 And Scored 1390+ If They Complete 300 Hours Of Supervised Practice

Following up on my previous post:  The Recorder, California Supreme Court Creates Alternative Path to Law Licensure for Recent Grads:

The California Supreme Court on Thursday blessed an alternative licensing plan for recent law school graduates that could usher thousands of new lawyers into the practice [Administrative Order No. 2021-01-20, Supreme Court of California En Banc (Jan. 28, 2021)].

Under the expanded law license pathway, those who scored at least 1390 on the bar exam between July 2015 and February 2020 but did not pass can join the bar without taking the test again if they complete 300 hours of supervised practice.

The court did not explain its decision. But the move is a nod to the new, lower passing score, or cut score, of 1390 on the California bar exam that justices approved in July 2020. The previous cut score of 1440 was the second-highest in the nation and contributed to California typically having one of the worst bar exam pass rates among states.

• ABA Journal, California Allows Retroactive Bar Admission With Supervised Practice
• Courthouse New Service, California High Court Clears Law Licensing Pathway in Place of Bar Exam
• Reuters, Ruling Lets Applicants Who Failed California's Bar Exam Seek Law License