Rule 6 Law Clerk Program
Text of Admission to Practice Rule (APR) 6
Rules and Regulations Governing the Washington State Law Clerk Program APR 6 Rules and Regulations
What is the Law Clerk Program?
The Law Clerk Program was designed to provide an alternative legal education for people who do not attend or complete law school. The program combines a theoretical, scholastic and clinical experience. Successful completion of the program meets the educational requirement to take the Washington State Bar Exam. There is a separate application process to take the Bar Exam.
Who administers the program?
The program was established by Admission to Practice Rule 6 and is conducted by the WSBA at the direction of the Supreme Court. The Law Clerk Committee administers the program.
What qualifications must a clerk applicant meet?
The applicant must be of good moral character; have a bachelor's degree from a college or university based on a four-year curriculum; obtain full-time employment in Washington state with a lawyer, or a judge of general or appellate jurisdiction, who will be the primary tutor, and complete the application process.
Is there an application fee or a filing fee?
A $50 filing fee must accompany an application to the Program. If enrolled, the program fee is $1500 annually.
What is the application procedure?
All applications are evaluated by the Law Clerk Committee. They meet every three months for this purpose. An applicant must submit a completed application 60 days before a designated meeting. The application is reviewed by the WSBA office and, if the application meets the program requirements, the applicant is sent the name of a member of the Law Clerk Committee designated to interview the clerk and tutor applicants. This is to be arranged no later than 30 days in advance of the quarterly meeting. The applications and the interviewer's comments are considered at the committee meeting. The application is approved or denied and the parties notified.
What does a complete application consist of?
An applicant must meet the requirements for enrollment in the program when he or she applies and submit:
- An original and two unstapled copies of the clerk's application and essay,
- Two letters of recommendation and two unstapled copies of each,
- Sealed transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions,
- An original and two unstapled copies of the proposed tutor's application and statement,
- A fee of $50.00,
Also, if applicable:
- An original and two unstapled copies of a certificate of good standing from the appropriate authority in each jurisdiction in which you have been admitted to practice law.
Optional:
- An original and two unstapled copies of a proposed assistant tutor's application and statement,
- An original and two unstapled copies of a petition for advanced standing as described in Regulation 4-3.
What is the length of study in the Law Clerk Program?
A law clerk studies for four calendar years. The law clerk must spend a minimum of 30 hours each week studying and performing the duties of a law clerk. The tutor is required to give at least three hours each week of personal supervision to the law clerk which includes exposition and discussion of the law, the recitation of cases, and the critical analysis of the law clerk's written assignments.
Who can serve as a tutor?
A proposed tutor must be an active member in good standing with the WSBA and have been actively and continuously practicing law or serving in the required judicial position for at least 10 years immediately preceding the filing of the application. If a disciplinary sanction has been imposed upon the lawyer within the five years immediately preceding the filing of the application, the Board of Governors has the discretion to accept or reject the lawyer as tutor.
Can a lawyer tutor more than one clerk at a given time?
No. A lawyer may act as tutor for only one law clerk at a time.
Does the Law Clerk Committee maintain a list of prospective tutors?
No. The Committee will not assist an applicant to find employment or to evaluate in advance the qualifications of a potential tutor.
May the clerk or tutor receive payment for their time?
The clerk must be employed by the primary tutor. The employment must be within the State of Washington, a minimum of 30 hours per week, and 12 months per year. Under no circumstances may the tutor assess a fee or require any other form of compensation in return for instructing or employing the clerk.
May an applicant petition for advanced standing in the Law Clerk Program?
An applicant may receive credit toward completion of the program for subjects previously studied at an approved or a non-approved law school. The amount of advanced standing awarded is determined by the Committee upon approval of the application. The petition must meet the requirements of Regulation 4-3.
May attorneys serve as assistant tutors?
An assistant tutor must meet all of the qualifications of the tutor with the exception that the assistant tutor shall have been actively and continuously practicing law or serving in the required judicial position for at least five years, rather than 10, preceding the filing of the application.
