Eliminate the Bar Exam for Lawyers – WSJ

The legal profession regulates itself which explains how lawyers get away with practices that pad their own earnings and block nonlawyers from selling competing services at lower prices.

Congress may soon strengthen the antitrust enforcement powers of the Biden administration s Justice Department. The department should use those powers to eliminate the American Bar Association s monopoly in determining what constitutes an acceptable legal education and state licensing requirements, which restrict the supply of lawyers.

Prospective lawyers generally graduate from an ABA-accredited three-year law school before taking a state bar examination to obtain a license to practice law. However, many people who are interested in and capable of providing legal services cannot afford the high tuition and opportunity cost of not working for three years and paying to obtain a law degree.

Limits on the supply of lawyers are reflected in prices. A simple contract can run $1,500, which most people cannot afford. One study by the National Center for State Courts found that 75% of civil matters in major urban areas had at least one self-represented party, and these parties are less likely to prevail in court without proper legal help. Others who can t afford legal assistance end up stuck in horrific circumstances that ought to be criminal matters, such as domestic violence.

via www.wsj.com