text: in which states can a person pass the bar exam and practice law without a degree?   one is eligible to take the bar exam with only law-office study in california, maine, new york, vermont, virginia, washington, and wyoming. in addition, you are eligible in california, dc, and new mexico to take the test if you only have correspondence study. each state is very different on these requirements, particularly on how long you must work at a law firm, and some of those do require some classroom experience at an aba accredited law school, even though they don't require a jd or lld.  that being said, it is pretty rare for someone to apply for and be accepted to the bar without a law degree. it is simply the easiest, fastest way to learn all of the information necessary for the bar exam.