California's bar exam is known for its rigorous content and low pass rates compared to other states. In fact, even though California recently lowered its passing score from 1,440 to 1,390, that is still higher than the 1,350 score required for a passing grade in many other states.
To pass the exam in the first phase of grading, an applicant must have a total scale score (after one reading) of at least 1390 out of 2000 possible points. Those with total scale scores after one reading below 1350 fail the exam.
The overall pass rate was 53.8%, up 2.3 percentage point from last year's exam. For California ABA-accredited law schools, the pass rate for first time test-takers was 81%, up 5 percentage points from 2023.
Is The California Bar Exam Hard? Yes, the California bar exam is widely considered to be the most difficult of all state bar exams in the US. The California bar exam has a pass rate of 34%.
California Bar Examination All other attorney applicants must take the general bar exam. Please note that the State Bar does not offer reciprocity or accept bar exam scores from another jurisdiction.
To be eligible to take the California Bar Examination, you should have completed at least two years of college before beginning your law studies or passed certain specified College Level Equivalency Program examinations.
In California, there are three main paths to becoming admitted to the state bar: (1) applicants with a law school degree taking the California Bar Exam, (2) applicants without a law school degree completing the Law Office Program and taking the California Bar Exam, and (3) attorneys already admitted to practice in ...
In California, qualified applicants can take the bar exam without going to law school. Most law schools require a college degree, but some may only ask for equivalent course work, and some law schools focus on your legal interest and life experiences and not on your grades or LSAT scores.
The California bar limits complaints for events that occurred within the last five years. The statute of limitations for legal malpractices is one year, generally from the time representation ends.
Undisclosed conflicts of interest are also unethical, as are any illegal or unscrupulous activities, such as suppression of evidence or misleading statements made to courts.