Active Apprenticeship Program

Vermont: Law Office Study Program

Vermont is often called the friendliest reading-the-law state: there's no separate first-year exam like California's Baby Bar, the rules are comparatively short, and the state has a long, quiet history of admitting law-office-trained lawyers.

Duration

4 years of full-time study in a law office

Governing Body

Vermont Board of Bar Examiners

Interim Exam

None required

Official Source

vermontjudiciary.org

Verify before you rely on this

This page summarizes Rules of Admission to the Bar of the Vermont Supreme Court, Rule 6 as we understand it. Bar admission rules change, and we are not Vermont Board of Bar Examiners. Confirm current requirements at vermontjudiciary.org or by contacting the Vermont Board of Bar Examiners directly before making any decisions.

Program at a glance

  • Program name: Law Office Study Program
  • Governing rule: Rules of Admission to the Bar of the Vermont Supreme Court, Rule 6
  • Duration: 4 years of full-time study in a law office
  • Time commitment: Full-time equivalent study (commonly treated as at least 25–30+ hours per week) for four 12-month periods
  • Who can supervise you: An active member of the Vermont bar in good standing, typically expected to have several years of active practice experience and the availability to directly supervise and evaluate your work.
  • Registration: You register your course of study with the Vermont Board of Bar Examiners at the outset and typically file periodic certifications of satisfactory progress from your supervising attorney throughout the 4 years.

The bar exam path

Vermont has no separate first-year 'baby bar' style exam. Your progress is certified by your supervising attorney at intervals set by the Board, and you sit the Vermont Bar Examination (Vermont administers the Uniform Bar Examination) after completing the full course of study.

Why apprentices choose Vermont

  • No mid-program licensing exam comparable to California's Baby Bar: one less high-stakes gate before you reach the bar exam itself.
  • Vermont accepts the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), so a passing UBE score can potentially be transferred to other UBE jurisdictions later, subject to that jurisdiction's own admission rules.
  • A small, personal Board of Bar Examiners that has worked with law readers for a long time.

What to weigh before committing

  • Vermont has very few practicing attorneys relative to other states, which can make finding a willing, qualified supervising attorney harder simply due to numbers.
  • Because there's no interim exam, your only true checkpoint before the bar exam is your supervisor's periodic certification, so pick a rigorous supervisor, not just an available one.
  • Housing and relocating to Vermont (if you don't already live there) is a real practical cost to weigh against the tuition savings.

Step-by-step process

  1. Identify and secure a Vermont-licensed supervising attorney willing to commit to a 4-year course of study.
  2. Submit your registration and proposed course of study to the Vermont Board of Bar Examiners for approval.
  3. Complete each 12-month period with your supervisor filing the required certification of progress.
  4. Apply to sit the Vermont Bar Examination after completing the full 4-year course of study.
  5. Complete the character and fitness review process.

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