CLEAR
Examining legal education and bar admissions to ensure competent and ethical practice.
In 2023, the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators charged the Committee on Legal Education and Admissions Reform (CLEAR) with:
- Assessing the current state of legal education.
- Defining standards for minimum competence to practice law and the skills necessary to be practice-ready upon graduation from law school.
- Determining what reforms should be made to legal education and bar admissions.
- Identifying steps that ensure legal education and bar admissions continue to protect the public through the ethical practice of law.
- Preparing and incentivizing public interest lawyering.
Our collaborative approach
CLEAR is using a collaborative approach to address critical areas of interest to:
- Actively engage with stakeholders from legal education, bar admissions, and courts, reviewing the current state of legal education from admissions to law school to admission to the bar.
- Use insights and perspectives of practicing lawyers, with a particular focus on those in public interest.
- Collaborate with national organizations, such as the National Conference of Bar Examiners, the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education, law school deans, and national organizations dedicated to public interest lawyering.
Moving forward
- Recommendations will be developed for national, state, and local levels.
- A final report of findings and recommendations will be shared with the full Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators.
The urgent need for reform
of defendants in criminal cases struggle to afford legal representation.
of low-income individuals lack access to adequate legal assistance for civil issues.
of rural counties in the U.S. qualify as "legal deserts," with less than 1.000 residents.
To be an attorney in our system founded on the rule of law is indeed a privilege. We each have different roles, but we are all integral parts of one justice system, and that shared purpose is what unites us in our collective obligation to advance justice for all.
New Hampshire Chief Justice Gordon J. MacDonald
CLEAR Chair
CLEAR committees
Given the many challenges facing the legal profession, it is necessary to examine legal education and bar admissions to understand their impact on the profession and the public and to undertake appropriate reforms.
State supreme courts are the primary regulators of the legal profession, and it is essential that we understand the current landscape of legal education and bar admissions.
New Mexico Justice C. Shannon Bacon
CLEAR Vice-Chair
Share your thoughts on legal reform
Provide your comments and feedback on legal education and admissions reform to help shape future recommendations. Your perspective matters!
