The Iowa Supreme Court has dediced against a major change in the requirements for practicing law in the state. A Blue Ribbon Committee recommended graduates of the two state law schools be able to bypass taking the bar exam and begin practicing immediately.
After weeks of comment and a public hearing, the Iowa Supreme Court issued an order saying that the justices concluded the so-called “diploma privilege” should not be adopted. The order says the current process of admitting lawyers through the exam should be carefully studied with the goal of improving it in several areas.
The Supreme Court asked the Iowa Board of Law examiners to look three things. Whether the state should adopt a uniform bar examination, whether law students should be allowed to take the bar in February of their third year in law school, and whether adjustments to the bar admission process should be considered. The High Court asked for a report on those three things by March 31st.