To boost lawyer numbers in ‘legal deserts,’ Arizona adopts apprentice plan for bar exam failers
July 18 (Reuters) – Law school graduates who fall just short of passing Arizona’s bar exam will soon have the option to become licensed attorneys after spending two years working under the supervision of an experienced lawyer in a rural area or a government or non-profit law setting.
The Supreme Court of Arizona on Wednesday established the first-of-its-kind effort, dubbed the Arizona Lawyer Apprentice Program, to bolster the number of lawyers practicing in the state’s “legal deserts” and to help prosecutors, public defenders and legal aid offices recruit and retain attorneys.
“The dearth of legal professionals negatively impacts not only access to justice and the effective operation of the justice system, including speedy case resolution, it also reduces economic growth,” the state Supreme Court said in the order, opens new tab establishing the program. The order noted that Arizona ranks 49th out of 50 states in lawyers per capita.
The program will also encourage would-be lawyers to stay in Arizona instead of leaving to practice in states with lower bar exam passing scores, or delaying the start of their careers as they retake the licensing exam, the court said.
A National Conference of Bar Examiners spokesperson said on Thursday that the organization is not aware of any similar program creating a path for law graduates who fail the bar exam.
Arizona’s new program will begin in September and is open to graduates of American Bar Association-accredited law schools who scored between 260 and 269 on the Uniform Bar Exam on or after July 2023, meaning they just missed Arizona’s passing score of 270. Neighboring New Mexico and Utah both have passing scores of 260.
Participants are required to spend at least 30 hours a week working for pay under the supervision of a lawyer with at least five years of experience in a rural county with fewer than 600,000 residents, or at a government or public law firm, for 24 months. Supervising attorneys won’t have to go through a vetting process but must be in good standing with the State Bar of Arizona, a court spokesman said Thursday. Apprentices will be admitted as fully licensed attorneys after successfully completing the program.
Arizona’s Administrative Office of the Courts will oversee the apprentice program. There is no projected number of program participants, the court spokesperson said, adding that between 40 and 80 Arizona bar examinees a year typically score between 260 and 269 on the test.
A 2020 ABA study, opens new tab said Arizona has one of the most significant shortages of rural lawyers in the country, despite ranking 14th in overall state population. The national average at the time of the ABA study was four lawyers for every 1,000 residents, but 10 of Arizona’s 15 counties, according to the study had fewer than one lawyer per 1,000 residents.