Removing Barriers to the Idaho Bar Exam

For many law students, graduating from law school is only the final step before another significant hurdle: the cost of taking the Bar Exam. Unfortunately, those costs can create a very real barrier for students who have already invested substantially in their legal education.

For the most recent Bar Exam, several University of Idaho law students faced serious financial hardship—some living in their vehicles or otherwise without stable housing—in order to afford the costs associated with taking the exam.

IADC wants to help change that.

IADC is working directly with the University of Idaho College of Law to raise financial support for Idaho-resident law students who need assistance with the costs of taking the Idaho State Bar Exam. Using the University’s established need-based criteria, UI will help identify Idaho residents for whom financial assistance can make a meaningful difference.

Contributions will help offset expenses associated with becoming licensed, including the Bar Exam application and examination fees, technology fees, background investigation costs, and other related expenses.

These students have done the work to earn their law degrees. IADC wants to help ensure that financial hardship does not prevent promising future Idaho lawyers from taking that final step into our profession.

Give to the U of I Legal Launch Fund here.

Bringing the Courtroom to Life for UI Law Students

IADC is also partnering with the University of Idaho Litigation Observation Club to give law students an opportunity that cannot be replicated in a classroom: watching practicing lawyers advocate for their clients in a real courtroom.

And we need IADC members to make it happen.

Participating is simple. Volunteer members provide dates for upcoming public court hearings or trials, and the Litigation Observation Club shares those opportunities with its members, currently based at the UI Boise campus. Students attend the proceeding as observers and see firsthand the advocacy, preparation, professionalism, and collegiality that are part of practicing law in Idaho.

After the proceeding, we ask participating IADC members to spend a few minutes answering questions, explaining what the students observed, or offering a little sage advice about litigation and the practice of law.

Unlike a traditional mentoring relationship, there is no expectation that members disclose client confidences, privileged information, or details beyond what occurred in the public proceeding. There is also no significant ongoing time commitment. The goal is simple: give students a window into the real practice of law and an opportunity to learn from experienced Idaho attorneys.

A few minutes of your time may have a lasting impact on a future lawyer.