This article originally appeared in The Bar Examiner print edition, Spring 2025 (Vol. 94, No. 1), pp. 60–61.
Rule Changes
For jurisdiction bar admission rules, including the updates below as applicable, visit the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements website at reports.ncbex.org/comp-guide/.
Arizona
On January 29, 2025, the Arizona Supreme Court established the Government Law Admission Program (GLAP) for lawyers from nonreciprocal states. The program allows lawyers admitted in other US jurisdictions who do not have established reciprocity with Arizona to practice law in a publicly funded law office. After five years of practice under GLAP, attorneys will be admitted on motion under Arizona’s Supreme Court Rule 34(f). The full order is available at www.azcourts.gov/Portals/22/admorder/Orders25/2025-25.pdf?ver=hTZ6OoYKSIN5DEXRoJ9l9Q%3d%3d.
Arizona published a rewritten character and fitness application in January 2025, which features updated questions, reference requirements, and review periods in an effort to streamline the process. For more on the changes, visit www.azbaradmissions.org/news.action?id=540.
Hawaii
Effective with the February 2025 exam, the passing score in Hawaii is reduced to 132. The previous passing score was 133.
South Dakota
The South Dakota Supreme Court approved the Public Service Pathway Program for licensure after a hearing on February 18, 2025. The program is in collaboration with the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law and is limited to a maximum of 10 students per class year. Program participants, among other requirements, must engage in at least 500 hours of supervised practice at a public service organization in South Dakota and commit to at least two years of public service practice after law school. Participants are admitted to the practice of law if they meet all requirements, including a character and fitness investigation. The full text of the order is at ujs.sd.gov/uploads/sc/rules/SCRULE_RSRC_20250221114340.pdf.
People
Arkansas
Hon. Courtney Rae Hudson, the Supreme Court of Arkansas’s most senior associate justice, is liaison for the Arkansas State Board of Law Examiners as of January 28, 2025. Justice Hudson replaces Chief Justice Karen Baker, who served as liaison for 12 years.
California
Donna S. Hershkowitz is now Chief of Admissions with the State Bar of California as of February 24, 2025. She previously was Chief of Mission Advancement & Accountability with the state bar.
Massachusetts
Elizabeth Storms was promoted effective February 10, 2025, from Counsel for Bar Admission to General Counsel for the Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners.
Missouri
Trevor Bossert is Executive Director of the Missouri Board of Law Examiners effective March 3, 2025, replacing James Klahr. Effective the same date, Karlla Dozier replaces Stephanie Angerer as Counsel/Director of Investigations.
Contact Information
Kansas
The Kansas court system has changed its domain from .org to .gov. The domain shift affects Kansas judicial branch websites, portals, and email addresses.
NCBE News
Bob Schwartz joined NCBE as Managing Director of Psychometrics on January 21, 2025. He was previously Director of Research and Psychometrics at ACT. A licensed attorney, Schwartz worked in maritime litigation in California before transitioning to the field of psychometrics. He earned his BA in mathematics from Pomona College; a JD from the University of California, Hastings (now University of California College of the Law, San Francisco); and a PhD in measurement from the University of California, Berkeley.
Errata: 2023 Statistics
The Spring 2024 issue of The Bar Examiner included 2023 bar examination and admission statistics, which NCBE collects from the 56 US jurisdictions. The District of Columbia has reported that their submitted numbers for 2023 admissions by examination were in error. Corrected information for the District of Columbia and updated overall totals appear below.
Admission to the Bar by Examination and by Transferred UBE Score, 2019–2023
| Jurisdiction | Admission by Examination |
| 2023 | |
| District of Columbia | 1,996 |
| TOTAL | 39,896 |
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