California does not require a JD to take the bar exam. Instead you can apprentice with an attorney or judge. As an alternative to taking out massive student l

California does not require a JD to take the bar exam. Instead you can apprentice with an attorney or judge. As an alternative to taking out massive student loans, you can enter a part-time program and work full time to pay your tuition. That is what I did. I worked full time as a paralegal and went to school at night, then studied on weekends. I only took out one small loan to take time off to study for the bar exam and pay the associated costs.