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On Sophia Park's first birthday, she picked up a judge's gavel. It was her Doljabi ceremony, a Korean tradition that involves placing various items in front of a child and having them pick one up in anticipation of their future profession.
Park stuck with her choice of law and achieved a remarkable feat: Earlier this month, at 17 years old, she became the youngest-ever test taker to pass the California bar exam.
Park will join the Tulare County District Attorney's Office in California as a prosecutor after she turns 18 years old in March.
Park obtained her high school diploma, a bachelor's degree, and a law degree in just four years.
Instead of attending public high school, Park opted for homeschooling. She began law school classes online at Northwestern California University School of Law at age 13 when she was going into eighth grade. Park graduated from high school in May 2022 and received an accelerated bachelor's degree in educational studies from Western Governors University in May 2023. In June, she graduated from Northwestern California University School of Law with her Juris Doctor of Law.
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In July, she sat down to take the California State Bar exam, widely considered one of the hardest bar exams in the country with a pass rate of 53.8%. The two-day exam packs in five 60-minute essay questions, one 90-minute performance test, and around 200 multiple-choice questions.
Park received news that she had passed the exam on November 8. Her family celebrated her achievement alongside her, including her brother Peter, who had previously held the title of the youngest person to pass the California bar exam. Peter passed the exam in November 2023 at 17 years and 11 months old. Sophia passed at 17 years and 8 months old.
Park acknowledges that she missed out on prom, graduation, and other standard high school and college experiences — but she has no regrets.
"Seeing where I'm at right now, I wouldn't trade it for anything," she told the New York Times. "I'm having an experience not many get to have."
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