Beginning in September, graduates of non-ABA-accredited law schools will be allowed to sit for the bar exam in the state of Washington after a new policy change by the state’s bar association.

The amended rule broadens the definition of what constitutes an “approved law school” whose graduates would qualify for admission in the state. Under the new rule, graduates of “law schools that other states have recognized as meeting the education requirements to sit for the bar exam in that jurisdiction” would be allowed to sit for the state bar, and applicants would have the burden of proving their law school is recognized by another state.

The ABA council is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the sole accrediting body for U.S. law schools and operates separately from the greater ABA. Most jurisdictions require applicants to the bar to be graduates of an ABA-accredited law school.
“What we’re seeing in Washington is consistent with how several other states have been asserting their authority for years,” Jennifer Rosato Perea, Managing Director of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, said in a statement. “This approach affirms council accreditation as the gold standard for quality while also recognizing other law schools or educational pathways that serve the state’s needs.”

Washington’s move comes as the ABA council’s exclusive accreditor status is changing. Since the beginning of this year, the state courts of Alabama, Texas and Florida made moves to break ties with the council. Other state supreme courts, including Tennessee and Ohio, currently are reevaluating ABA accreditation.

In 2024, the Washington Supreme Court approved, in concept, additional pathways to the bar involving supervised practice, but an actual program has not yet been launched.

You can read more about this matter here.

Results from the last bar exam have now been released in all states. If you were unsuccessful, we at Marino Legal will give you a completely FREE score evaluation from our bar exam experts to show you what went wrong and exactly what you need to do to pass on the next try.
The Marino Family is dedicated to helping retaker students pass and urge you to contact us right away, as the sooner we speak, the sooner we can help you set up a game plan for success on the upcoming exam. Just submit your score report to us here or email us at info@marinolegal.com