Lowering the bar: Possible changes to lawyer exam could help students of color, immigrants

Shamsi Maqsoudi has been away from Afghanistan for ten months and hopes to get a doctorate degree and a professorship at Kabul University.

The California State Bar exam has the lowest pass rates in the country. But cutting the minimum score from 144 to 141 could boost the pass rate by 8 percent.

What does Homer Simpson have in common with California's law students? They both have trouble passing the bar.

But really though, the California State Bar exam is one of the hardest of its type in the country. Last year, just 43-percent of law school grads passed it. That has a lot of people concerned — especially the State Bar of California.

On Monday, they proposed lowering the minimum passing score, saying a little bit could go a long way.

And at least one group stands to benefit: underprivileged communities, including those of color.

For more on this, Take Two spoke to Kimberly West-Faulcon, professor of constitutional law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

Press the blue play button above to hear the full interview.

Correction: During the interview, the guest states that those who pass the California Bar Exam can practice law in other states. This is incorrect. California does not have reciprocity.