SALT LAKE CITY — Becoming a lawyer in Utah doesn't always mean taking the Bar Exam anymore. Approved by the State Supreme Court this month, and going into effect next year, students will have an alternative pathway to becoming a lawyer.
Students on the new path tell FOX 13 News that it is a game-changer. "I'm a big fan. I'm a huge fan," stated Abby Forrest, a law student at S.J. Quinney College of Law.
"It's a way to bring the law into the 21st century," explained Brooke Davies, a law student at the University of Utah. Under the new system, law graduates would need to pass required courses, put in 240 hours of legal practice with veteran attorneys, and take a written performance exam administered by the Utah State Bar.
The idea for the path first started in 2020, when graduates like Emily Nuvan, who is now an associate attorney at Ray Quinney & Nebeker, entered a world shut down by COVID. "We were kind of the guinea pigs," Nuvan expressed. "Like, let's watch and see if they're able to continue in their legal careers and do well having not taken the bar."
Brooke Davies is in her last year of law school at the University of Utah. She says the exam can take 10-12 weeks of full-time studying, and prep courses can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000. "I have a daughter and so not having to pay for childcare in the same way that I would have while just studying and not earning income, it means a lot to me," Davies stated.
For some, the change makes becoming a lawyer a more sustainable path, and one that makes room for real life.
“It takes the stress off of having to fit into this box of a standardized exam and show my knowledge in this really narrow way; I can show it in another way,” said Davies.
Applications for the alternate pathway open on January 1, 2026. You can find more information here.
