Ringing Changes: Systems Thinking About Legal Licensing

Authors

Joan W. Howarth, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Boyd School of Law
Judith Welch Wegner, University of North Carolina School of Law

Document Type

Law Review Article

Publication Date

1-2019

Keywords

minimum competence, bar exam design, non-exam licensing methods

Abstract

The bar examination is a significant topic of conversation among regulators, bar examiners, the courts, legal educators, law students, and practicing lawyers. We seek to move beyond recent debates by proposing a new framework for conversations about the system of legal licensure, not merely the bar exam. In setting forth our framework, we build upon discussions from the Florida International University College of Law’s Summit on the Future of Legal Education and Entry to the Profession.