<p>Do any of you guys know states that dont reguire an accredited law degree to sit for the bar? CA sort of does, though you need a one-year exam or something of that sort. Any states that let anyone sit for the bar, more or less?
Thanks guys.</p>
<p>In California you can sit ofr the bar exam and apprentencing</p>
<p>whoops, "sans"</p>
<p>Go here for a chart that provides the methods allowed by each state for admission to the bar: <a href="http://www.abanet.org/legaled/publications/compguide/chart3.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.abanet.org/legaled/publications/compguide/chart3.pdf</a></p>
<p>Thanks for the chart, dude. I also found some other info:
States that allow you to take the bar & practice w/o an accredited degree:</p>
<p>California (although you have to take a pre-bar exam & many other requirements)</p>
<p>Alabama, cost of bar: $600</p>
<p>Massachussetts, cost of bar: $815</p>
<p>Tennessee, cost of bar: $300</p>
<p>I was thinking of maybe taking the bar while I was in college, why the hell not, hopefully some of you guys in these boards will find this helpful, as well.</p>
<p>I think you need to review the chart I provided. Not having a degree from an "accredited" (meaning by the ABA) law school does not necessarily mean you can avoid having a law school degree. Alabama, Mass, and Tenn still require a degree from a law school to take the bar but it does not have to be an arredited law school: likewise Cal except you can also qualify by working for a law firm for four years and studing under lawyers in that firm. As far as I know, there is no state that allows you to take the bar without some kind of law school degree or the law firm study option.</p>
<p>Note also that if you take the bar exam in any state without having graduated from an ABA-accreidted law school, you will not be given any reciprocity outside that state, and likely would not even qualify to take the bar exam in most other states.</p>
<p>Secondly, a bar exam is a mutliple-day exam (2-3 days) that requires months of in-depth study of the law. It's not an exam that one takes on a "why the hell not?" basis.</p>
<p>So if you put the effort into taking the bar exam without having graduated from an ABA-accredited law school, and manage to pass, don't think of moving to another state.</p>