Law Schools Regulation

California law schools are approved and accredited by the American Bar Association or the State Bar’s Committee of Bar Examiners. The committee also regulates California’s unaccredited law schools.

All California-accredited law schools operate from a fixed-facility campus and are authorized to award a Juris Doctor (JD) degree that qualifies graduates to take the California Bar Examination. Some California-accredited schools also offer hybrid or online modalities.

California’s unaccredited law schools operate either from a fixed-facility campus, by correspondence, or online.

Reports

Statistics

The State Bar’s Committee of Bar Examiners publishes information on the percentages of graduates from law schools in California (ABA-approved, California-accredited, and unaccredited) that pass the California Bar Examination, both as a first-time taker of the examination or after more than one attempt to pass.

  • Exam statistics: The State Bar’s Committee of Bar Examiners publishes information on the percentages of graduates from law schools in California (ABA-approved, California-accredited, and unaccredited) that pass the California Bar Examination, both as a first-time taker of the examination or after more than one attempt to pass.
  • Cumulative Pass Rate Statistics of California-Accredited Law Schools: California Accredited Law Schools (CALS) must “maintain a minimum, [five-year] cumulative bar examination pass rate” of 40 percent or more, as calculated under Rule 4.160(D)(6) of the Accredited Law School Rules. CALS report this minimum pass rate (MPR) on July 1 and the State Bar posts these figures in August after they are verified and presented to the Committee of Bar Examiners. Unaccredited law schools are not required to maintain a minimum bar pass rate