Admission as a Special Student (CLEP Pathway)

LA Law Institute — Pre-Legal Education Requirement

Applicants who have not completed a bachelor’s degree or at least 60 semester units of college work may still qualify for admission by passing the State Bar of California’s required CLEP examinations before beginning law study.

The CLEP exams

You must pass College Composition (the full version, not the modular exam) plus the additional CLEP exams required by the State Bar, scoring 50 or higher on each. Your additional exams may be selected from these subject areas:

  • Composition and Literature (Humanities examination only)
  • Foreign Languages
  • History and Social Sciences
  • Science and Mathematics
  • Business

The State Bar sets the exact number and combination of additional exams required. We’ll help you confirm your plan meets the requirement before you spend time and money testing.

The State Bar certifies your eligibility

Passing the exams is not the final step. Your official CLEP scores must be sent directly from the College Board to both:

  • The State Bar of California — Score Recipient Code: 7165
  • LA Law Institute – Institution Code: 9302

The State Bar then reviews your scores and certifies whether they satisfy the educational requirement. This certification is what we rely on, and it must be complete before you can enroll — so please allow time for it. Scores forwarded by the applicant are not accepted; they must come directly from the College Board.

Step-by-step

  1. Register for and take your CLEP exams at collegeboard.org, scoring 50 or higher on each. All required exams must be passed before you begin the study of law.
  2. Have the College Board send your official scores to both the State Bar (Code 7165) and LA Law Institute.
  3. The State Bar certifies that your scores satisfy the educational requirement.
  4. Apply to LALI with your CLEP score report and the State Bar certification. We enroll you once certification is received.

One requirement for all LALI students

Because LA Law Institute is unaccredited, all students — both Regular and Special — must take and pass the First-Year Law Students’ Examination (FYLSX, or “Baby Bar”) after their first year of study.

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