Why passing the bar exam will no longer be a requirement to become an attorney in Washington state

Prospective lawyers will no longer have to pass the bar exam to work in Washington, the state Supreme Court ruled in a pair of orders authorizing alternative pathways to licensing.

The exam "disproportionately and unnecessarily blocks marginalized groups from entering the practice of law" and is "at best minimally effective for ensuring competent lawyers," the Bar Licensure Task Force determined.

The Washington Supreme Court cleared the way for people to become lawyers in the state without passing the bar exam. The state will soon offer three alternative experience-based routes to becoming a licensed attorney. (John Moore/Getty Images)

"In addition to the racism and classism written into the test itself the time and financial costs of the test reinforce historical inequities in our profession," the task force wrote in its proposal for the change, released last month.

Washington's Supreme Court appointed the task force to study alternative ways to show competency in 2020, after pandemic-related modifications "caused many to question the efficacy of the current exam," according to the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts.