California does not offer bar admission without taking the California Bar Exam. All attorneys must take the California bar exam in order to be admitted to the California Bar.
California offers a California Attorneys’ Exam for attorneys that have engaged in the active practice of law for at least four years immediately preceding the application for admission. The modified bar exam allows eligible applicants to take only the California essay portion of the general bar exam.
Please also see the California Pro Hac Vice page to view the requirements for admission to a particular proceeding, and the California Multijurisdictional Practice Rules (MJP) for legal practices that are excluded from the unauthorized practice of law.