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Bill to allow apprenticeship or legislative experience in lieu of law school draws mixed reaction
Summary
HB 1609 would let the North Dakota Supreme Court create an apprenticeship route so non‑J.D. applicants — including legislators with sufficient experience or apprentices with supervised hours — could be authorized to sit for the bar exam.
House Bill 1609 proposes to let the North Dakota Supreme Court, in cooperation with the State Board of Law Examiners, create an apprenticeship pathway that would allow some applicants to qualify to take the bar exam without a J.D. degree. The sponsor, Representative Laurie Van Winkle, said the program is aimed at expanding legal career access in rural areas and creating affordable alternatives to law school.
Van Winkle described the bill’s proposed thresholds: a legislator with at least four years’ service or a college graduate who completes 2,000 supervised hours under a licensed attorney within five years would be eligible to seek court authorization to take the bar. “This will provide affordable options that one may otherwise be unable…
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