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I wouldn't use a lawyer that wasn't tested 6 ways from Sunday. I darn sure don't think that only the government can do that. I'd be happy with a private group doing the testing, and I'd be willing to pay for it.

Government isn't always the answer. Sometimes private enterprise is better.

Government sure doesn't keep people from getting crappy lawyers.

/johnny

“The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) is a U.S. based non-profit organization that develops national (”multistate”) standardized tests for admission to the bar in individual states.” From Wiki. As of 2014 only @ 14 (smaller) states use this method. Other states have their own exam, typically administered by or through the auspices of the state’s highest court. It’s that court that usually admits the student/lawyer to actually practice law in the state.

Lawyers-to-be first have to take LSAT exams to exhibit a certain level of intellectual ability before getting into law school. Then, after completing a 3 year course of study, they have to take a bar exam that shows whether they understand the law they studied.

That is the standard route; obviously there are exceptions to how one gets admitted to the bar (i.e., clerkship instead of law school). In either case the process is fairly rigorous. And, of course, some incompetents and a fair number of corrupt individuals manage to navigate their way thru. No system is perfect. But doing away with the system is asking for serious trouble.