The future of the Iowa Bar Examination for new Iowa attorneys was in limbo when a recommendation was made to remove passage of the Bar Examination as a prerequisite to practice law in Iowa, so long as the applicant graduated from an Iowa Law School (University of Iowa or Drake University). The Iowa Supreme Court held public hearings and considered extensive information both in support and in opposition of the proposal before entering its Order this morning. The Iowa Supreme Court declined to adopt the "diploma privilege" recommendation which means that even graduates of Iowa law schools will still have to sit for, and pass, the Iowa Bar Examination in order to be licensed to practice law in the State of Iowa. The Supreme Court did note that it will continue to study the issue and will not foreclose the possibility of modifying the admission process in Iowa. For now however, every new lawyer wishing to practice law in Iowa must successfully pass the Bar Examination. The Court's order may be accessed here.
