Conservative groups praise Washington bar exam reforms meant to help ‘marginalized groups’

Several conservative groups say an alternative to the bar exam in the state of Washington is a victory for limited government…

The change is “great news,” according to Shoshana Weissmann, a fellow with the R Street Institute. She researches and writes about occupational licensing reform. R Street supports “smaller, smarter government.”

She told The College Fix via email the “bar exam is proven to be a poor measure of a lawyer” and “a closed-book exam is silly…”

“In the real world, lawyers would be disciplined for not looking up the law and consulting books and online resources when needed,” Weissmann said.

“The legal profession needs a lot of reform, and creating alternative pathways to licensure is a good start,” she said.

“Law school structure should also be changed to ensure lawyers learn how to be lawyers,” she said. “Too many graduates feel wholly unprepared for their first legal jobs.”