The Arizona Supreme Court implemented the Arizona Lawyer Apprentice Program (ALAP) on September 1, 2024, with generous grant support from the State Justice Institute, creating an alternative pathway to law licensure. ALAP is designed for candidates who narrowly miss Arizona’s Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) passing score of 270, recognizing that a single cut score does not perfectly measure attorney competence and future success. Rather than requiring these candidates to retake the UBE, ALAP allows those scoring between 260 and 269 to practice law under the supervision of an experienced Arizona attorney.
Participants must commit to two years of providing legal services in rural areas or with public law offices statewide and meet all other admission standards. Upon successful completion of the program, an ALAP licensee transitions to a regular license to practice law in Arizona. This innovative program reflects the Court’s commitment to expanding access to justice while offering aspiring attorneys a meaningful opportunity to demonstrate their competence.
After one year, ALAP has shown strong engagement with 70 applications received. For the July 2025 UBE, 16 of 44 eligible candidates (36%) have applied, while for the February 2025 UBE, 20 of 36 eligible candidates (56%) have applied. Earlier eligibility periods yielded 19 applications from July 2024 examinees (35%) and 7 applications from July 2023/February 2024 examinees (12%).
To date, 44 ALAP licenses have been issued, with 40 currently active. Three licensees subsequently achieved a UBE score of 270 or higher, and one license expired due to failure to secure qualifying employment. Seventeen ALAP applications remain active. For more information about ALAP you can visit the ALAP website ALAP – Arizona Lawyer Apprentice Program. For information on how to apply, see Arizona Attorney Admissions – Applications & Information.
December 1, 2024
The RFK National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice (RFKNRCJJ) has used a proven framework to partner with state and local jurisdictions to conduct multiple probation and youth justice system reviews designed to improve outcomes for youth and families at-risk or involved in the juvenile justice systems for more than fifteen years. RFK’s successful technical assistance …
November 1, 2024
The Keeping Families Together: Preserving and Reunifying Families with Substance Use Disorder (KFT) project was established to refine and test a Family Recovery Court (FRC) model for child welfare-involved families with substance use disorders. In collaboration with the Williamson County Family Recovery Court, Dr. Catherine LaBrenz and her team at the University of Texas at …
October 1, 2024
The Assessment Center Outcome and Reporting Network (ACORN) initiative was established to create a more consistent performance and outcome measures for Assessment Centers (AC) nationwide. The National Assessment Center Association (NAC) in collaboration with the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ) and Dr. Jeff Kretschmar, worked to support a cohort of six ACs (listed below) …
September 1, 2024
Many people who become involved in the criminal legal system experience behavioral health and social service-related needs that remain unmet throughout their system involvement. These unmet needs can result in people cycling through the system, taking a toll on their well-being and placing a burden on the system. In recognition of this challenge, jurisdictions across …
August 1, 2024
The Trauma-Informed Practice Strategy Lab (TIPS Lab) was born out of the need to address the trauma of people involved in criminal courts—an urgent need shown by statistics on the prevalence of violence and victimization in the United States. The Center for Justice Innovation is leading the development of the TIPS Lab, which includes a …
July 1, 2024
In 2011, Utah became the first state to embed the concept of proportionality into its rules governing discovery in civil cases. Utah Rule 26 created three tiers based on the amount-in-controversy at stake with tight deadlines and significant restrictions on the scope of allowable discovery for cases valued less than $50,000 (Tier 1), slightly longer …