The California Supreme Court has announced a provisional licensure program for recent law school graduates will get underway in November.
“Because of the pandemic, the California Supreme Court decided it was necessary to postpone the July bar exam, which is typically administered in person in large rooms to hundreds of examinees in each locale,” Teresa Ruano, principal program analyst with the Office of Strategic Communications & Stakeholder Engagement at the State Bar of California, told the Northern California Record by email.
“The exam was eventually administered online remotely in October for 9,630 examinees,” Ruano said.
While California already had a procedure – the Practical Training of Law Students Program – which allowed law students to practice in limited circumstances under supervision, it requires that students take the first bar exam for which they are eligible.
“The provisional licensure program is designed for current graduates, is broader in the practice areas allowed, and does not require taking or passing the bar exam during the life of the program,” Ruano said.
The State Bar will begin accepting applications Nov. 17.
Many other states have also adopted provisional licensure programs or extended existing legal intern programs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, Ruano said.
It is not yet known how many students may participate.
“The State Bar will strive to ensure that the turnaround from application to licensure will be swift, so that provisionally licensed lawyers can begin to practice as soon as possible,” Ruano said.
“Members of the public will benefit from this program because it will enable law graduates to begin practicing law and offering legal services sooner, but with the supervision of a practicing attorney,” Ruano added. “The State Bar will also have an online lookup feature that will enable members of the public to check the license status of anyone practicing under this program.”
The Supreme Court directed the State Bar of California to create the program in a July 16 letter.