Californian passes state bar exam at age 17 and is sworn in as an attorney

VISALIA, Calif. (AP) — A county prosecutor’s office says one of its law clerks passed the State Bar of California exam at age 17.

The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said this week that, according to research, Peter Park is the youngest person to pass the exam.

The State Bar said Friday in an email to The Associated Press that it could not confirm that Park is the youngest, but it hailed his achievement.

“Passing the California Bar exam is a major accomplishment at any age, and for someone as young as Mr. Park, it is quite an extraordinary feat and one worth celebrating,” Executive Director Leah Wilson said.

Park took the exam in July and received the test results on Nov. 9, according to a news release issued by the District Attorney’s office this week.

“It was not easy, but it was worth it,” Park said in a statement.

Park began high school at Oxford Academy in Cypress, California, in 2019 at age 13 and simultaneously began a four-year juris doctor program at the Northwestern California University School of Law after completing college-level proficiency exams, the office said.

Park graduated high school in 2021 by taking the state’s high school proficiency exam and focused on law school, graduating this year. He became a law clerk for the District Attorney’s office in August, turned 18 in late November and was sworn in as an attorney on Tuesday.