Board of
Trustees approves competency skills training requirements
The Board of
Trustees of the State Bar of California last month adopted new training requirements focused on ensuring competency and
professionalism for admission to practice law in California.
The
requirements call for:
- 15 units of practice-based
experiential training during law school, with an apprenticeship option
- 50 hours of pro bono or
reduced-fee legal services
- 10 hours of additional competency
training MCLE (minimum continuing legal education) in the first year
following admission
The plan requires rule
changes that must be approved by the California Supreme Court and the
California Legislature in order to take effect. If those are adopted, the plan
would be gradually phased in.
Two State Bar task forces
chaired by former State Bar President Jon B. Streeter spent 28 months
developing the proposals and the implementation plan, holding a series of
public meetings and getting input from interested parties.