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When it comes to the bar exam, California is the one who knocks. Passage rates? Almost as low as the Supreme Courts approval ratings. Accessibility? Good luck with accommodations. And if that wasn’t enough to cement California as the hard asses of the bar exam game, they’re about to implement a substantial price hike. From Reuters:
The State Bar of California has proposed a slate of fee increases for law graduates and attorneys seeking to become licensed in the Golden State—part of a larger plan to boost revenue amid a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall.
Under the proposal, the cost of registering for and taking the California bar exam would go from $796 to $1,000 for law students—a 26% increase. Those fees would increase 50% for attorneys licensed in another jurisdiction, rising from $1,197 to $1,800.
The moral character determination fee—which covers the bar’s review of an applicant’s past conduct—would increase 32% to $725 for law students and 54% for to $850 for attorneys seeking to be licensed in the state.
That’s a hell of a generous tip to be implementing! If 20% is standard for tipping good service (which it is, you cheapos), what tiers of service come with the prospective 26% and 50% increases? If a 10% boost to bathroom breaks and a free sandwich don’t get thrown in, revolt may be in order — we are fresh off the 4th after all. The State Bar gives the go to excuse of needing to cut costs, but come on now. They could get some multi-millionaire to Crow the costs instead of making the little guys foot the bill. Because bar exam costs aren’t the only thing they’re trying to make you pay more for with the same service:
The State Bar is also pursuing a $107 increase in the annual fees paid by lawyers active in the state—up about 25% from the roughly $500 fee that most active attorneys pay. Any increase will require the approval of state lawmakers. A state auditor in April found that the organization was outspending its annual revenue and faced a projected deficit of $4.3 million this year.
I doubt “I will refuse the Bar’s attempt to shift costs of business to the consumer!” will be persuasive to the general population, but any state lawmakers doing their darndest to appeal to the lawyers of California just found an easy campaign slogan.
Amid budget crunch, California seeks to raise bar exam fees by 26% [ABA Journal]
Earlier: California’s Bar Exam Is Hard Enough Without Dealing With Its Accommodation Process
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s. He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.
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