A young Korean-American man became the youngest person to pass the state’s bar exam at 17 in California and was sworn in as a practicing attorney.
Peter Park, now 18, entered high school in 2019 at Oxford Academy in Cypress at the age of 13 and concurrently attended Northwestern California University School of Law in Sacramento.
Park graduated from high school in 2021 and law school earlier this year, and began working as a law clerk at the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office on December 5.
The state’s law schools allow students without a high school diploma to be admitted if they pass the College Level Proficiency Exams (CLEPS). On November 9, Park passed the bar exam that he took in July, but regulations required him to wait to be sworn in until he turned 18 late last month, according to Tulare County.
“It was not easy, but it was worth it,” Park said. “My hope is that more people will realize that alternative paths exist to becoming an attorney. I aspire to become a prosecutor because I am driven by a moral obligation to uphold liberty, equality, and justice in society. I admire how prosecutors keep our community safe and bring closure to victims.”
Park will reportedly work in the criminal division, according to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office.
BY BRIAN CHOI, HOONSIK WOO [ichoi@koreadaily.com]
