A 17-year-old in Tulare County has become the youngest person to pass the bar exam in California.
The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office announced that Sophia Park, who is 17 years and eight months old, passed the bar exam last Friday.
The big picture: Park becomes the youngest person to ever pass the state’s bar exam, doing so before her brother, Peter Park, who was 17 years old and 11 months old when he passed it last year.
- Park is a law clerk at the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office.
Driving the news: Park began law school when she was 13 years old in 2020 and in junior high school.
- She graduated high school early in 2022 by passing the California High School Proficiency Exam and went on to graduate from Northwestern California University School of Law this year.
- California allows students to apply to law school through College Level Proficiency Exams, giving Park the opportunity to earn her law degree at such an early age.
What we’re watching: Park is scheduled to become a licensed attorney in March 2025 when she turns 18.
- The District Attorney’s Office said Park plans to become a prosecutor, alongside her brother, in Tulare County.
What they’re saying: “As a prosecutor, I will work to see justice served and ensure that victims’ voices are heard,” Park said.
- Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward praised Park for being the youngest person to pass California’s bar exam.
- “Sophia’s amazing accomplishments speak for themselves, and we could not be prouder as an office family,” Ward said. “It really is quite remarkable the success we have had with our law students, interns, and law clerks attaining their professional dreams. The dividends for our office have been immense, and we are excited to be part of Sophia and Peter’s continued success.”
