In all U.S. jurisdictions except Wisconsin, passing a bar exam is a requirement to obtain a license to practice law. However, the Covid-19 pandemic forced some state authorities to adopt alternative paths to licensure for recent law school graduates.

In the wake of those changes, criticism of the bar exam has blossomed into a movement to reform or eliminate the test altogether. These critics argue that the bar exam, “is an outmoded, discriminatory, and simply ineffective as a barometer of legal competence,” according to Bloomberg Law’s Sam Skolnik.

While defenders of the status-quo argue that the bar is still the best way to evaluate would-be attorneys on the fundamental legal concepts that every lawyer should know.

In this first of a three-part series on the bar exam, the [Un]Common Law podcast will look at the arguments for and against preserving the bar exam.

In this episode we speak with:

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Host/Producer: Adam Allington

Editor/Executive Producer: Josh Block

Cover Art: Jonathan Hurtarte