Background

Supporting legal apprentices, whose professional practice will focus on lawyering in the Next Economy, to pass the bar exam supports the Law Center’s mission to cultivate a new legal landscape that supports community resilience and grassroots economic empowerment. Ten weeks is the standard amount of time expected to be necessary for most law school graduates to study (9 weeks) and take (1 week) the exam. This is considered necessary even after three years of law school given the nature of the bar exam to require an intense period of memorization and practice in the weeks immediately preceding the exam.

We are setting an expectation that a staff member participating in California's Law Office Study Program as an apprentice should feel comfortable taking up to 6 weeks of time off to study for and take the bar exam, including up to 20 days (4 weeks for full-time equivalent) paid time off for each bar exam. This is not an expectation that any staff person (apprentices or non-apprentices) should get more or less time off than others; rather it is a guideline to communicate and make apprentice staff members feel comfortable about what we all generally consider reasonable about time off to study, and to encourage apprentice staff members to take the time they need.

Apprentice staff members should consider what time they personally need to be able to pass the exam and aim to minimize both the durational impact and financial impact on the Law Center of their time off. This may be less time, or more time, than set out in this guideline. If apprentice staff members believe they can managed to stretch out their studying, maybe only 2-3 weeks off will be needed.