A much anticipated study commissioned by the state bar has found that California could cut its notoriously high bar exam score and still ensure that those who meet lawyer competency minimums are qualified to practice.

Without issuing an unequivocal conclusion, the study found that the existing cut score of 144—the highest in the country with the exception of Delaware's 145—is a valid standard, but that a slightly lower score of 141 would also be appropriate.

Members of the State Bar's Committee of Bar Examiners met Monday to discuss the report and consider two options: leaving the cut score as is, or lowering it on an interim basis to 141. Much of the discussion centered on the tension between access to justice and protecting the public, and how the state ought to define minimum lawyer competence.