News Release

California Supreme Court Proposes Amendments to Rules Governing the Bar Exam and Attorney Admissions

Court directs State Bar of California to circulate proposed amendments for 45 days of public comment.
By Merrill Balassone
May 28, 2025

See the court's order here.

The Supreme Court of California today proposed a series of amendments clarifying the authority of the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) over the California Bar Exam and attorney admissions.

The court also directed the State Bar of California to circulate the proposed amendments for 45 days of public comment. The amendments include:

Oversight of the Bar Exam

 

 

 

 

 

 

Require the CBE to:

  • Review all exam questions (Rule 9.6(a)(1)).
  • Establish standards for selecting subject matter experts and validation panelists to review new exam questions (Rule 9.6(a)(2))
  • Develop standards for accrediting any third-party vendor’s ability to administer or proctor the exam either in-person or online (Rule 9.6(a)(3)).
Administrative and Fiscal Authority

 

 

 

 
  • Reinstate the CBE’s authority to issue subpoenas in admissions matters (Rule 9.5(b)(1)).
  • Restore the CBE’s oversight of the Office of Admissions’ budget (Rule 9.5(b)(2)).
  • Authorize the CBE to set all admissions-related fees, including bar exam and law school accreditation fees (Rule 9.5(b)(5)).
Governance and Appointment Procedures

 

 
  • Clarify the nomination and appointment procedures for CBE members, including disqualification criteria (Rule 9.4).
  • Require the CBE’s approval of the Director of the Office of Admissions (Rule 9.5(b)(3)).
Examination Reform

 

 

 

 

 
  • Mandate a cost-benefit analysis for any proposed changes to the bar exam, including feasibility, cost-effectiveness, the required staff resources, the “estimated timeframe required to competently implement the proposed changes,” and “[w]hether the proposed changes have previously demonstrated their efficacy under testing conditions similar to those of the bar examination” (Rule 9.6(b)).
Judicial Review and Depublication

 

 

 
  • Introduce Rule 9.16.1, consolidating procedures for the Supreme Court’s review of State Bar-related matters.
  • Create Rule 9.16.2, establishing procedures for requests to depublish State Bar Court decisions.

 

Other proposed amendments would delete obsolete provisions, update other provisions, and correct minor typographical errors.

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