Can undocumented people become lawyers?

This page covers California. Other states set their own bar rules. This is general information, not legal advice.

Can I get a law license in California without papers?

Yes. California has a law (Business and Professions Code 6064(b)) that says the state Supreme Court may admit an applicant who is not lawfully present in the U.S., as long as they meet every other requirement. It took effect on January 1, 2014.

The next day, January 2, 2014, the California Supreme Court admitted Sergio Garcia (In re Garcia) to the State Bar. He was undocumented. The court said no federal law stops a state from licensing an undocumented person to practice law, because California passed its own law that clearly allows it.

California also has a broader rule for licenses (Business and Professions Code 30). A licensing board, including the State Bar, must accept an ITIN or a Social Security number. It may not make you tell it your immigration status, and it may not deny you only because of your status.

Does that mean I can work as a lawyer?

This is the real limit, and we want you to see it clearly.

A license and permission to work are two different things.

• Employee jobs need a work permit. Federal law makes it illegal for an employer to knowingly hire a worker without work authorization. Every employer must check papers on Form I-9. In the Garcia case, everyone agreed this means a law firm, a company or a government office cannot hire an undocumented lawyer as an employee unless that lawyer has a work permit.
• Unpaid work is clearer. In the Garcia case, everyone also agreed that free (pro bono) legal work, and work outside the United States, would not break federal law.
• Working for yourself is not settled. The U.S. Department of Justice argued that federal law bars paid legal work in any form, even as a solo lawyer. Garcia and the bar examiners disagreed. The court did not decide it. Get advice from a lawyer before you take paid legal work without a work permit.

If you have DACA and a valid work permit, you can be hired like anyone else with a work permit. Keep it current. Your employer must check it again before it expires.

What does the path look like?

The steps are the same for everyone. Your status is not a reason to stop.

California's requirements are in Business and Professions Code 6060 (checked October 21, 2026):

1. Finish at least two years of college before you start law school. Most law schools want a bachelor's degree. Any major can lead to law school.
2. Apply to law school. Most schools ask for an admissions test score, such as the LSAT or, at some schools, the GRE. Ask each school how it treats undocumented and DACA students and what aid it offers.
3. Register with the State Bar as a law student within 90 days of starting law school.
4. Plan how to pay. Federal student loans are not open to undocumented students. Look for school grants, private scholarships and public interest funds. AB 540 can lower tuition at UC law schools if you met the school rules before college. Ask early.
5. Finish law school. A J.D. from an accredited or ABA approved school is the usual route. Depending on the school, some students must also pass the First Year Law Students' Examination.
6. Pass the professional responsibility exam the State Bar requires, and pass the California Bar Exam.
7. Get a positive moral character decision. Law schools advise starting this early; UC Davis School of Law says it takes at least six months and can take a year or more (UC Davis Law).
8. Get admitted by the California Supreme Court.

What about other states?

Rules are different in each state. This page covers California only. If you plan to practice outside California, check that state's bar before you choose a law school there.

What should I do next?

• Talk to a pre law adviser at your college. Ask them to connect you with undocumented law students or lawyers.
• Ask law schools directly about aid for undocumented students before you apply.
• Have DACA? Renew it on time so your work permit does not lapse.
• Get legal advice about your own immigration options. Some people have a path they do not know about.

Where can I get free help?

These are free or low cost. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Your college's Dream Resource Center or Dreamer liaison: every community college and Cal State campus must have one.
• Free immigration legal help: see Free legal help in the Bay Area and Where can college students get free immigration legal help?
• State Bar of California: (800) 843-9053 in California, for questions about the State Bar.

California has already admitted an undocumented lawyer. The door is open. Walk through it with your eyes open.

Related questions

• Can I go to law school if I am undocumented?
• Can I get a professional license in California without a Social Security number?
• What workplace rights do DACA recipients have?
• How do I apply for scholarships without citizenship?