Voice 
To bar＃..or NOT to bar?? That's the question.
September's here 每 a month noted by Chinese lawyers for taking the Chinese national judicial exam. In 2008, new eligibility rules mean significant changes. Many more applicants will take the bar exam this year.
294,000 took the exam in 2007. About 58,000 (22.4%) passed and obtained certificates. Later this month, 370,000 people will sit the exam 每 about 76,000 more than 2007.
The number of test takers is up significantly for at least two reasons. Taiwan residents are eligible for the first time; 800 will take the test. And, the key reason for the increased applicants is undergraduates may now sit the exam. ※Fresh university graduates in 2009 from regular institutions of higher learning may sign up for the national judicial examination.§ (No.75 Announcement of the Ministry of Justice)
It appears that Ministry of Justice intends for this exam reform to benefit both undergraduates and law firms. Law students passing the bar exam before graduation may get more job offers. At the same time, law firms appear to benefit from the earlier exam because they can identify students with bar certificates before making their hiring decisions. The normal season for law firm recruiting entry-level lawyers starts in March (4th year; during last university semester). This is before any candidate has taken the bar exam.
However, we wonder if law firms really will benefit from this change?
Leading law firms traditionally select entry-level lawyers from among their summer interns. Typically, interns have completed their third year. With the change in the bar exam, 3rd year undergraduates may decide to forgo a law firm internship to study for the bar exam. All exam applicants are clear about the rigorous preparation required to pass this exam. Can a 3rd year law student work as an intern AND also study effectively for the exam?
Here's an example. Michael Zhang is entering his 4th year in ECUPL. In June 2008, he was excited to learn that he was eligible for the bar exam. In the same month, Michael received a summer internship offer with a respected law firm. Which one to choose: the bar exam or the internship? In the words of Shakespeare,"To bar...or NOT to bar? That's the question."
After careful consideration, Michael took the internship. Michael considers working in this law firm his dream job. He decided to wait until 2009 (after his graduation) to take the bar exam. He's counting on getting an offer to join the firm at the end of the internship. Michael's law firm will allow him 3 weeks of leave for exam preparation〞that is, if he is employed after his internship. A 3-week to 1-month leave is allowed in some top tier law firms such as Fangda, K&W, Llinks, OMM, and Freshfields.
The new eligibility rules will influence internships and law firm entry-level recruiting. As more undergraduates pass the exam, we wonder if a PRC bar qualification will become a requirement for entry-level lawyers in law firms. We wonder if law firms will start their campus recruitment in October of the 4th year, like MNCs. Will law firms offer summer internship programs to 2nd year undergraduates? We will know in the coming years.
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