The Supreme Court of Washington state has ruled that passing the bar exam will no longer be necessary for law licensure since such a requirement "disproportionately and unnecessarily blocks historically marginalized groups from entering the practice of law."

About three and a half years ago, the Washington Supreme Court created the Washington Bar Licensure Task Force, which it ordered to "assess the efficacy of the Washington state bar licensure requirements" and to suggest possible alternatives to them. Last fall, the task force settled on a list of recommendations, which were then released to the public for comment. On Friday, the court issued its decision on the matter, taking into account the opinions of the task force and the public.

In its ruling, the court said that offering law students a bar exam is still necessary but insisted that the current Uniform Bar Exam is racially biased. It is a test infused with "racism and classism," the ruling stated, prompting "race-equity concerns" in those wishing to "advance the cause of diversity equity and inclusion." The ruling even used a tortured metaphor that compared the legal profession in the state to a "dam" that has left "people of color" thirsty for more access to legal services.