Pre-Legal Education Requirements

Pursuant to Rule VII, Section 1 of the Rules Regulating Admission to Practice Law in California, every general applicant must have (a) completed at least two years of college work at a regionally accredited or approved school, or (b) achieved three passing scores on the College Level Examination Program general examinations (see below).

A. Two Years of College Work
To have completed two years of college work, an applicant shall have earned an Associate of Arts degree, Associate of Science degree, or at least 60 semester (90 quarter units) of college work applicable to a baccalaureate degree at a regionally accredited or approved school recognized by the Committee of Bar Examiners, with an average grade at least equal to that required for graduation.

An approved school recognized by the Committee of Bar Examiners shall be a college or university that has degree granting authority from the state in which it resides. A regionally accredited school shall be a college or university accredited by anyone of the following regional accrediting agencies:

  • Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA)

  • New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. / Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (NEASC-CIHE)

  • New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. / Commission on Technical and Career Institutions (NEASC-CTCI)

  • North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)

  • Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NASC)

  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools /Commission on Colleges (SACS-CC)

  • Western Association of Schools and Colleges / Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (WASC-Jr.)

  • Western Association of Schools and Colleges / Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (WASC-Sr.)

B. College Level Examination Program
Applicants who have not completed at least two years of college work may satisfy the pre-legal education requirement by attaining three passing scores on the following general examinations administered by the College Level Examination Program (CLEP):

  1. English Composition or English Composition with Essay; and

  2. Two of the following:
            Humanities
            Mathematics
            Natural Sciences
            Social Sciences and History
As of July 2001, the required passing score for each test is 50.

Applicants must register to take the examinations directly with the CLEP, pay the required fees, and request CLEP score reports submitted to the Office of Admissions of the State Bar of California. The code for the Office of Admissions is 7165.

Copies of informational brochures and registration forms are available at local colleges and universities, or by contacting:

College Board
2099 Gateway Place, Suite 480
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 452-1400 ext. 129

C. Special Students
Special students are students classified as such by their accredited law school because they do not meet the requirements for regular admission.