Draft Rules for Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination (SPPE)
The Oregon Supreme Court and Oregon State Bar Board of Bar Examiners (BBX) seek public and bar member input on the draft rules for a new method of examination for applicants to the Oregon State Bar. The Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination (SPPE) will combine a period of supervised hours of entry-level practice with a portfolio examination by the BBX. We invite public and member comment by May 12, 2023 at [email protected].
- March 13, 2023 BBX Letter to OSB Members
- SPPE Draft Rules
- Explanatory Notes: SPPE Draft Rules
- March 13, 2023 BBX Report to the Oregon Supreme Court
In June 2022, the Oregon Supreme Court approved in concept the adoption of two new examination models for OSB admission. These models will give applicants a choice of how to demonstrate their competence to practice law in Oregon. Once these models are developed, approved, and implemented, an applicant for admission to the Bar will be able to demonstrate their competence to practice through the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), the Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination (SPPE), or the Oregon Experiential Portfolio Examination (OEPE).
Since that approval, the Licensure Pathways Development Committee (LPDC) has been working to develop the regulatory framework for the two new examinations:
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- The Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination (SPPE) will allow applicants to work in supervised apprenticeship settings following graduation from law school. They would then submit a portfolio of work to be examined by the BBX for admission to the OSB competency. See box above to access draft rules and share your input at [email protected].
- The Oregon Experiential Portfolio Pathway (OEPE) will offer students at Oregon’s three law schools a rigorous experiential curriculum in their second and third years of law school, followed by submission of a portfolio of work to be examined by the BBX for admission to the bar. The committee will invite public comment on draft rules prior to submitting to the Court.
The OSB will continue to offer the Oregon Bar Exam as a means to establish minimum competency, and to allow applicants to receive a portable Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) score accepted in other jurisdictions. The National Conference of Bar Examiners, which administers the UBE in conjunction with the OSB, is in the process of revamping its exam to create a “NextGen Bar Exam” to more effectively and equitably assess the knowledge and skills of bar applicants.
In developing both the SPPE and the OEPE, the Committee has examined other jurisdictions that offer multiple licensure pathways, but is creating examinations that will best serve Oregon consumers. The foremost guiding principle of the LPDC has been to ensure that the new examinations protect legal consumers by adequately measuring applicants’ competence to practice law while not placing unnecessary or inequitable barriers between an examinee and licensure
Please see the Resources tab for detailed information and background on these developing programs.
See also: Expanding the Bar, OSB Bulletin, Feb/Mar 2023.