Arizona has only 2.1 lawyers per 1,000 residents, according to the American Bar Association’s most recent profile. The Arizona Supreme Court’s new apprenticeship program will allow those who scored below the state’s bar exam passing score to practice law under supervision.
The program aims to help rural communities without substantial legal services, fill vacancies in public law offices and keep lawyers who scored within 10 points of a passing score in the state.
Aaron Nash is the director of certification and licensing for the court. He says those who score within that 10 point range but don’t pass often go to a neighboring state.
“So every exam administration we have people who score in that 260 to 269 range. They’ll go to Utah or New Mexico. These are people who want to be in Arizona but go somewhere else for three years and then come back," Nash said.
On Sept. 1, applications for the program will open. Participants will be supervised by a qualified attorney for two years while practicing law.
