Washington: State Supreme Court Rules Bar Exam Not Required to Become a Lawyer Because Racism

Washington’s Supreme Court has no fewer than three (1, 2, 3) Jews on it, despite them making up only around 1% of the state’s population

“The racism of low expectations” strikes again!

Right-wingers have mocked that talking point, but it is just a fact that it is ultra-condescending to say “well, actually, niggers are too stupid to take a test.”

There are black people who passed the bar. It’s not impossible for blacks to do this.

The Publica:

The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that the bar exam is no longer a requirement for prospective lawyers. On Friday, The Bar Licensure Task Force explained that the bar is “minimally effective for ensuring competency” and “disproportionally and unnecessarily blocks marginalized groups from becoming practicing attorneys.”

According to The Spokesman-Review, after appointing the task force in 2020 to assess “disproportionate impacts on examinees of color and first-generation examinees,” the courts agreed to substitute the exam with “experiential-learning alternatives.”

The task force was made up of over 50 groups of representatives and “examined the character and fitness process for lawyer licensure.”

Although students have historically interned under another lawyer before becoming attorneys, they still had to pass the bar to get their license to practice. Under the new guidelines, lawyers can forgo the bar, first administered in Delaware in 1783, by participating in a six-month apprenticeship and finishing three courses.

Additionally, students must complete a minimum of three hours of legal work per week and 12 skills credits as licensed legal interns, garnering up to 500 hours of law experience before graduation to complete their portfolios.

…

Washington is not the first state to offer substitutes for the bar exam. Oregon similarly approved an alternate licensing program in November of last year that will come into effect in May.

The program, called the Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination, will require candidates who have passed law school to complete 675 hours of legal work under the direction of a qualified lawyer and submit a portfolio of their work to be graded by bar officials.

Maybe there is some point about how you shouldn’t need a license to be a lawyer?

Oregon did it first