Congratulations, you're preparing to take the bar exam!
As a law school graduate, you will typically apply for bar admission through a state board of bar examiners. Each state determines its own criteria regarding eligibility to sit for its bar exam. For comprehensive information about a particular state's bar exam requirements, you should refer to the various charts in the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements published by the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar and the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE).
We've provided information about the application for admission you will complete prior to sitting for the exam. If you're curious, we have information about the exam itself and what to expect. Finally, our FAQs inform you about the law school's role in completing your character and fitness certification, sending your transcripts, and verifying your employment if you worked here when you were student.
Many of you, however, will take the exam in the state of Maryland. To get started on this journey, Maryland provides a helpful checklist that outlines the admissions process, which culminates when you take the oath in the Court of Appeals of Maryland and officially become a member of the Maryland bar. Maryland administers the Uniform Bar Exam. The Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) is created by the NCBE and is composed of the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), the Multistate Performance Test (MPT) and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). It is uniformly administered, graded and scored and results in a portable score that can be transferred to other UBE jurisdictions. To pass the UBE in Maryland, you will need a score of 266. In addition, Maryland requires that applicants for admission pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam with a passing score of 85. Applicants also will be required to complete a "Maryland component" designed to familiarize newly admitted attorneys with key distinctions of Maryland law and procedure.
Bar Study Loans are offered by multiple private lenders. Here are some FAQs regarding Bar Study Loans.
In addition to taking the bar exam, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the Maryland bar. You are encouraged to review Maryland Rule 19-203 which explains how the character review process works.
If you have questions about bar preparation courses, Professor Greg Bordelon, Director of Bar Success is available to speak with you. Please contact Professor Bordelon if you would like to make an appointment.
Good luck!