In the state of North Carolina, a person does not have to have a legal degree to become a lawyer. All they have to do is be able to pass the bar exam.Currently, Washington, Vermont, California and Virginia are the only four states that allow this process. Law students must register within 90 days of starting law school if they intend to take the California Bar Exam upon graduation. No. Each start has their own requirements for admission into their bar and the vast majority require a Juris Doctorate degree. Many aspiring lawyers wonder if they can take the California Bar Exam without actually going to law school. The short answer is yes, they can. Put simply, North Carolina requires that lawyers earn a four-year undergraduate degree, a three-year law degree, and pass the North Carolina Bar Exam. In California, you can pass the bar exam with no law school or college at all. What States Allow You to Become a Lawyer Without Law School?