Active Apprenticeship Program

Washington: Law Clerk Program (APR 6)

Washington's Law Clerk Program is the most structured of the four active pathways: it comes with a defined curriculum framework, required periodic exams administered by your mentor, and close WSBA oversight, which some apprentices find reassuring and others find bureaucratic.

Duration

4 years of full-time law clerking

Governing Body

Washington State Bar Association (WSBA), under the Washington Supreme Court's Admission and Practice Rules

Interim Exam

WSBA-administered periodic subject examinations throughout the program

Official Source

wsba.org

Verify before you rely on this

This page summarizes Admission and Practice Rule (APR) 6 as we understand it. Bar admission rules change, and we are not Washington State Bar Association (WSBA), under the Washington Supreme Court's Admission and Practice Rules. Confirm current requirements at wsba.org or by contacting the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA), under the Washington Supreme Court's Admission and Practice Rules directly before making any decisions.

Program at a glance

  • Program name: Law Clerk Program (APR 6)
  • Governing rule: Admission and Practice Rule (APR) 6
  • Duration: 4 years of full-time law clerking
  • Time commitment: At least 32 hours per week, for at least 44 weeks per year, across the 4 years
  • Who can supervise you: An actively practicing Washington-licensed judge or lawyer who has practiced for at least 10 years, approved by the WSBA as your 'tutor'; a tutor generally may supervise only one law clerk at a time.
  • Registration: You and your tutor jointly apply to the WSBA before you begin, including a proposed course of study; the WSBA's Law Clerk Program Board reviews and must approve the arrangement.

The bar exam path

Instead of one big first-year exam, Washington requires your tutor to test you on each completed subject throughout the 4 years and report results to the WSBA, plus periodic reports of satisfactory progress. You apply to sit the Washington Bar Examination after the WSBA certifies you've completed the program.

Why apprentices choose Washington

  • The most clearly defined curriculum of the four programs, which can make planning your study easier if you like structure.
  • Ongoing subject exams throughout the program surface weak spots early instead of all at once, unlike California's single high-stakes Baby Bar.
  • Washington's WSBA plays an active, hands-on administrative role, which means less ambiguity about what's expected of you.

What to weigh before committing

  • The 10-year tutor requirement plus a strict one-clerk-at-a-time rule narrows your pool of potential mentors.
  • The WSBA's ongoing exam and reporting requirements mean more paperwork and more regular high-stakes assessment than Vermont's lighter-touch model.
  • As with the other programs, you must locate and persuade your own tutor; WSBA does not match you with one.

Step-by-step process

  1. Find a Washington-licensed judge or attorney with 10+ years of active practice willing to serve as your tutor and take on only one clerk.
  2. Submit a joint application with your proposed course of study to the WSBA Law Clerk Program Board for approval.
  3. Begin the 4-year, 32-hour-per-week clerkship, sitting each subject exam your tutor administers along the way.
  4. Maintain the required periodic progress reports to the WSBA.
  5. Apply to sit the Washington Bar Examination once the WSBA certifies completion of the program.

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