A BLOG CURATED BY THE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIES LAW CENTER

Like Lincoln is a blog about the experiences of four legal apprentices and three mentors as they complete the Law Office Study Program of the State Bar of California. The Sustainable Economies Law Center (SELC) created this site because we believe there is a shortage of information about the apprenticeship route to practicing law. That’s why we’re documenting our experiences and sharing all the information, ideas, tips, and resources that we find useful to assist interested apprentices and supervising attorneys throughout their process.

Guest bloggers are welcome, please contact us to contribute. And please join the Apprenticing to Become a Lawyer Facebook Group to connect with others and discuss the growing legal apprenticeship movement!

WHAT IS LEGAL APPRENTICESHIP?

Vermont, California, Virginia, and Washington all allow people to become lawyers by “reading the law,” meaning they study and apprentice in the office of a lawyer or judge, in lieu of going to law school.

In California, for example, a person can become a lawyer by working and studying in the office of a lawyer or judge for 18 hours per week for four years. The supervising attorney must provide five hours of direct supervision per week, and must administer exams to the apprentice to test his or her learning. New York, Wyoming, and Maine all allow people to become lawyers through a combination of law school and apprenticeship.