The Utah Supreme Court has approved an alternative path to licensure (APL) in Utah, providing a skills-based route for law school graduates to become licensed without taking the traditional Uniform Bar Exam.
The supreme court’s Bar Admissions Working Group—which developed the alternative pathway—included Utah Law’s Dean Elizabeth Kronk Warner and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Louisa Heiny, and was chaired by Utah Supreme Court Justice John Pearce, who serves as an adjunct professor at the college. The working group was tasked with exploring alternatives to the traditional bar exam in response to growing national and local calls for a licensure model that better reflects real-world skills, reduces economic barriers, and supports workforce readiness.
With the establishment of the APL, Utah is at the forefront of innovative reforms in legal licensure, joining four other states that allow for skills-based bar admission. Several additional states are piloting or considering similar licensing options.
The APL is designed to ensure that law school graduates have the practical skills and knowledge needed to practice law effectively, while also reducing financial and logistical barriers that are often associated with preparation for the bar exam. The APL does not lower licensure standards—instead, it modifies the way competence is demonstrated and preserves rigor while enhancing relevance. The method is backed by research indicating that skills-based assessments are more effective at predicting future success in legal practice than standardized tests alone.
Students who choose the APL instead of the bar exam must complete several requirements, including:
- 240 hours of supervised legal practice under a qualified attorney
- specific law school doctrinal and skills courses
- a written performance exam administered by the Utah State Bar
- the Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam
- meeting the same character and fitness standards as all other bar applicants
Students will be able to start their supervised practice hours immediately after graduation. In addition to work at a traditional law practice, these hours could include clerking, conducting policy work, working in non-profits and government agencies, pro bono work, and other forms of qualifying practice.
The APL is anticipated to become available in summer 2026, once the written test is developed.
Alternative paths such as the one established in Utah are endorsed by the American Bar Association and were encouraged by a 2025 report from the Committee on Legal Education and Admissions Reform, a group comprised of chief justices and court administrators from a diverse array of states across the country.
Learn more about the alternative path to licensure in Utah on the Utah State Bar website.