At 17, a California kid takes the bar test and becomes one of the state’s “youngest practicing attorneys.”
After passing the state bar test at the age of 17, a California youngster is now a practicing attorney.
According to a news release issued by the Tulare County District Attorney’s office on December 6, Peter Park, a Tulare County District Attorney law clerk, passed the exam on his first attempt.
“The previous record holder was 18 at the time.” “Park received his test results on November 9 after taking the exam in July,” according to the notification.
This is not the first time Park has demonstrated his exceptional academic skills.
According to the DA’s office, Park began high school in 2019 at the age of 13 at Oxford Academy in Cypress, California.
During that period, Park enrolled in the Northwestern California University School of Law’s four-year juris doctor program.
Park was allowed to do so by taking advantage of “a state bar rule that allows students to apply to law school through the completion of College Level Proficiency Exams (CLEPS),” according to the Tulare County District Attorney’s office.
Park received his high school diploma in 2021 after passing the California High School Proficiency Exam.
The #StateBarCA congratulates 17-year-old Peter Park on recently passing the #CABarExam and being sworn in as an attorney in our state; we wish him tremendous success as he embarks on his promising legal career. Read more: https://t.co/sexO3yo7WX #BarExamChamps
— State Bar of California (@StateBarCA) December 8, 2023
Park concentrated on his legal studies and graduated from Northwestern California University School of Law in 2023.
In August, he began working as a law clerk for the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office.
“It was difficult, but it was worthwhile.” “Passing the bar required discipline and strategy, and I did it in the end,” Park told the DA’s office.
“I am extremely blessed to have discovered this path, and my hope is that more people will realize that alternative paths exist to becoming an attorney,” Park said in a statement.
Park turned 18 last month and was sworn in on December 5 in Visalia.
According to the DA’s office, Park is now one of the state’s youngest practicing attorneys.
“I aspire to become a prosecutor because I am driven by a moral obligation to uphold liberty, equality, and justice in society,” Park said in a statement.
“I admire how prosecutors keep our community safe and bring closure to victims,” he said in a statement.
In an email to the Associated Press (AP), the State Bar stated it couldn’t confirm Park is the youngest individual to pass the state bar – “but it hailed his achievement,” according to the AP.
“Passing the California Bar exam is a major accomplishment at any age, but for someone as young as Mr. Park, it is quite an extraordinary feat and one worth celebrating,” Executive Director Leah Wilson told the Associated Press in an email.
The California bar test is “considered the toughest in the country,” according to the University of San Diego School of Law.
“It covers 14 subjects over three days and includes essay questions, multiple choice questions, and performance test assignments,” according to the college’s website.
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