Thank You For Doing So Reluctantly, Duckess

Late last month, the State Bar Board of Governors voted to increase application fees by about 14 percent, with the cost for general applicants going from $464 to $529 and the cost for attorneys jumping from $674 to $769.

In addition to the exam fees, the State Bar also plans to increase registration fees for general applicants from $80 to $92, for attorneys from $145 to $166 and late fees from $45 to $52.

The cost of a moral character determination goes from $378 to $431 and admissions certificates from $60 to $69.

The Committee of Bar Examiners said it suggested the increases reluctantly, with its members saying they are "acutely aware that many, perhaps most, applicants are entering the admissions process with substantial student loan debt levels."