17-Year-Old Becomes the Youngest to Pass the California Bar

On Sophia Park’s first birthday, she picked up a choose’s gavel. It was her Doljabi ceremony, a Korean custom that includes putting numerous gadgets in entrance of a kid and having them decide one up in anticipation of their future occupation.

Park caught together with her alternative of legislation and achieved a outstanding feat: Earlier this month, at 17 years previous, she grew to become the youngest-ever test taker to move the California bar examination.

Park will be a part of the Tulare County District Legal professional’s Workplace in California as a prosecutor after she turns 18 years previous in March.

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Park obtained her highschool diploma, a bachelor’s diploma, and a legislation diploma in simply 4 years.

As a substitute of attending public highschool, Park opted for homeschooling. She started legislation college lessons on-line at Northwestern California College Faculty of Regulation at age 13 when she was going into eighth grade. Park graduated from highschool in Could 2022 and acquired an accelerated bachelor’s diploma in instructional research from Western Governors College in Could 2023. In June, she graduated from Northwestern California College Faculty of Regulation together with her Juris Physician of Regulation.

In July, she sat all the way down to take the California State Bar examination, extensively thought of one of many hardest bar exams within the nation with a pass rate of 53.8%. The 2-day examination packs in 5 60-minute essay questions, one 90-minute efficiency take a look at, and round 200 multiple-choice questions.

Park acquired information that she had handed the examination on November 8. Her household celebrated her achievement alongside her, together with her brother Peter, who had beforehand held the title of the youngest particular person to move the California bar examination. Peter handed the examination in November 2023 at 17 years and 11 months previous. Sophia handed at 17 years and eight months previous.

Park acknowledges that she missed out on promenade, commencement, and different customary highschool and school experiences — however she has no regrets.

“Seeing the place I am at proper now, I would not commerce it for something,” she told the New York Times. “I am having an expertise not many get to have.”

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