US Teen Makes History, Becomes Youngest To Pass California Bar Exam

A 17-year-old prodigy has created history by becoming the youngest person to pass the California State Bar Exam, making her a practising lawyer in the state. Sophia Park's achievement eclipses the record previously held by her older brother, Peter Park, by three months.

On November 8, 2024, Ms Park learned she passed the bar exam taken by over 8,000 candidates in July. She was 17 years and 8 months old when she sat for the exam, leaving her brother of 17 years and 11 months behind. “I am very happy and excited,” she said in a family-uploaded YouTube video.

According to a New York Times report, the California State Bar Exam is known for its rigorous standards, with just under 54 per cent of the candidates who attempted the exam in July clearing it.

Ms Park's achievement was also announced by her employer, the Tulare County District Attorney's Office. “Sophia's amazing accomplishments speak for themselves, and we could not be prouder as an office family,” said Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward.

Sophia Park completed high school, college and law school in an accelerated timeline of roughly four years, through advanced online courses. Beginning law school at 13 in 2020, Ms Park juggled her studies alongside attending junior high at Oxford Academy in Cypress, California. By 2022, she completed high school, having cleared the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE). In 2024, she earned her law degree from Northwestern California University School of Law.

According to the NYT report, Ms Park, like her brother, utilised a provision in California law permitting students to enter law school by passing College-Level Proficiency Exams (CLEP), bypassing traditional undergraduate requirements.

At 16, Ms Park gained practical experience through a summer internship with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Since 2024, she has worked as a law clerk for the Tulare County District Attorney's Office.

Ms Park will start as a practising attorney in March 2025, when she turns 18 and is sworn in as a licenced lawyer. She plans to join the Tulare County District Attorney's Office as a prosecutor, following in her brother's footsteps.

“As a prosecutor, I will work to see justice served and ensure that victims' voices are heard,” she said.