MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A judge has granted class-action status to a lawsuit challenging Wisconsin's policy of allowing in-state law graduates to become lawyers without passing the bar exam.

U.S. District Judge Hon. Barbara Crabb says anyone who applies to practice law in Wisconsin within 30 days of graduating from a law school outside the state can join the lawsuit.

Wisconsin allows graduates from its two law schools to become lawyers immediately if they meet certain requirements. It's the last state in the nation with the so-called diploma privilege.

An Oklahoma City University School of Law graduate who filed the suit last year claims that the policy is unconstitutional because it treats out-of-state law school graduates differently.