OPB.ORG — Oregonians may soon have some options when it comes to becoming licensed attorneys in the state, following a recent decision by the state Supreme Court. The Oregon Supreme Court unanimously supported the concept of two alternatives in addition to the Uniform Bar Exam — currently, the sole pathway to attorney licensure for people in the state. Those alternatives are: An experiential learning pathway for students, and a postgraduate supervised practice pathway. But the state court’s decision is just a preliminary step. It could take much of this year or longer before those alternatives are approved and implemented. In the meantime, Oregon’s three law schools are starting to think about how the changes could affect them and their students. Discussions about alternatives to the bar exam began in 2020, following the Oregon Supreme Court’s granting of a temporary “diploma privilege” — meaning eligible law students could become licensed lawyers without taking the bar exam because of the pandemic. After that decision, Oregon Chief Justice Martha Walters requested that the state Board of Bar Examiners look into alternatives to the exam for the future.