Passing the California Bar Exam is your path to practicing law in one of the world’s most influential legal markets.
According to an American Bar Association Demographics report, California ranked second among U.S. states in 2024 for its lawyer population, being home to over 175,000 lawyers. That’s 4.51 lawyers for every 1,000 state residents!
10 Steps to Becoming a California Attorney
The process can be lengthy and intricate, but BARBRI is here to guide you along your bar admissions journey. There are many steps involved, and we recommend you start at least a year in advance of your bar exam date to ensure you complete all the requirements on schedule.
Here’s what you need to know and do for California Bar admission.
1. Earn Your Undergraduate Degree
Before taking the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), you must earn a bachelor’s degree. While some pre-law majors are more popular than others, there’s no one major that's more impressive for getting into law school. The American Bar Association does not recommend any specific undergraduate major for law school, however, Business Administration, Communications, Economics, Finance, Political Science, and Sociology are some good options.
Interest and aptitude should be the most important factors when choosing a pre-law major. Admissions committees will focus on your performance and whether you’ve developed the skills needed to do well in law school.
2. Pass the LSAT
The LSAT is an integral part of law school admission. It’s the designated test to help you determine if law school is right for you.
BARBRI’s PowerScore LSAT Prep course, with our renowned LSAT Bible prep book series, lays the foundation for test day success. You’ll maximize your score (PowerScore students have seen score increases of 30 points or more) to increase your list of attainable law schools, like Stanford University, University of California – Los Angeles, University of California – Berkeley, and many more.
The average LSAT scores for acceptance into top law schools in the state are typically in the 170+ range.
3. Select + Attend Law School
Once you choose a law school and are accepted, it’s time to learn how to conquer the first year. By taking BARBRI Law Preview, you’ll walk into law school with an understanding of core 1L material and the skills you need to get to the top of the class.
Your first-year performance is pivotal to your overall law school success and can help open doors for you to clerkships, internships, Law Review, and future employment opportunities. BARBRI’s 1L Exam Success program and Quimbee Study Aids work in concert with your classroom learning to give you everything you need to master that crucial first year, and beyond.
As you get further along in law school and closer to earning your J.D., you'll have the opportunity to explore different electives as you choose among multiple practice areas. BARBRI 2L/3L Exam Success covers specialized areas of law that can be challenging, so you gain understanding before you study for the bar.
4. Take the MPRE
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) is required for admission to the bar in California. We recommend taking the MPRE any time during your 2L year or as early in your 3L year as possible. The MPRE covers legal ethics and is designed to start you thinking like a practicing attorney.
While the rules you learn in your legal ethics or PR courses in law school will apply to the MPRE, they won’t necessarily cover all the material tested. The free BARBRI MPRE Review Course gets you ready to answer questions with the mindset examiners expect.
5. Create NCBE, Bar Admission Account
All law students are required to create an NCBE Account that comes with a unique NCBE Number for identification purposes. Most students create a NCBE account when registering for the MPRE (if required). Register with the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
6. Secure Your Bar Prep Course
Choosing the right bar prep provider to guide you on your journey to passing the bar is a huge decision, not to mention a big investment. With BARBRI, you can feel confident in your search.
BARBRI Bar Prep Preview or NextGen Prep Preview let you experience features like our proprietary online Personal Study Plan (PSP) that allows you to customize your calendar to fit your schedule. And when you enroll in BARBRI Bar Review early, you gain immediate access to 2L/3L Exam Success. You’ll be able to take a little stress out of your bar prep by devoting some time to building key skills before your course begins.
7. Apply for the Bar Exam
It’s important to be aware of the schedule and various fees associated with the bar exam. For the February exam, ensure your application is submitted by November 1st for timely processing, or by January 1st at the latest. For the July exam, the timely application deadline is April 1st, with a final late submission deadline of June 1st.
Graduates of foreign law schools may already be eligible to sit for the California Bar Exam. Learn more about U.S. bar exam eligibility and requirements for foreign law graduates, lawyers, and U.S. LL.M. students.
The BARBRI Bar Exam Digest contains bar exam information for each U.S. jurisdiction, including the typical bar exam format, subjects tested, bar exam scoring, deadlines, fees, reciprocity, and more. Download it for free now.
Complete Your Moral Character Application
To practice law in California, you also must file an Application for Determination of Moral Character. While you can complete this at any time after registering as a law student or attorney applicant, it's wise to plan ahead. The State Bar can take six months or more to process the application, so you should file it at least eight to ten months before your intended admission date.
Review additional moral character application details and requirements from the State Bar of California.
8. Pass the Bar Exam
California requires a passing score of 1,390 out of a total of 2,000 points.
9. Get Admitted to the Bar
Once you pass your bar test, you are almost prepared to practice law in California. Check for everything you need in advance of applying for admission. Even if you’re waiting on bar exam results, there may be information you can collect during this timeframe to help expedite your application filing.
10. Continue Your Legal Education
Your legal learning journey doesn’t end when you become a practicing attorney. Continuing legal education (CLE) is an ongoing requirement for lawyers to stay current on legal practices, ethics, and other professional developments to keep their license to practice. BARBRI’s expert-led CLE programs offer digital content and CLE credit solutions unmatched in the industry to keep you ahead with the latest knowledge while meeting compliance requirements.
How Much Do California Lawyers Make?
A lawyer's average wage is largely determined by their geographic location and practice area.
California boasts three of the top ten highest earning metropolitan areas for lawyers, according to a report by the American Bar Association published in 2024.
Ready to Become a Practicing Attorney in California?
From passing the LSAT to attending law school, conquering the bar and continuing your legal education requirements, BARBRI is there at every step of your legal learning journey to offer a comprehensive experience for success as a lawyer in your chosen field.
Get the California Bar Admission Checklist for more information to keep you on track and moving forward with your career goals.
Always check the State Bar of California webpage for the most current deadlines and instructions.
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