Maine Bar Exam: Basic Guide
IIf you plan on sitting for the Maine Bar Exam then you will want to read this article. It contains information about how to qualify for the Maine Bar Exam, where you can find registration materials, as well as what topics will be covered in the Maine Bar Exam. When you are developing your study plan for the Maine Bar Exam, you can use this article as an outline of what you need to cover. Finally at the end of this article is a list of hyperlinks that will take you to legal references that can be used as free study materials.
QUALIFICATIONS
To qualify to sit for the Maine Bar Exam you will need to have a law degree from an ABA approved law school. The Maine Board of Bar Examiners will have a list of approved schools. You can also visit their website to see the requirements that pertain to attorneys from other states. If you have not graduated from an ABA approved law school you will need to be a practicing attorney in another state for at least three years, and be in good standing, before you are able to sit for the Maine Bar Exam. If you have graduated from a law school outside of the United States you will need to contact the Maine Board of Bar Examiners to fill out an application of educational equivalency.
In addition to the above educational requirements you will also need to take the Multistate Professional Responsibilities Exam. To meet the testing requirements set out by the state of Maine you will need a score of at least 75. This is one of the lowest passing scores in the nation, as most of the other states require a MPRE score of 80 or 85.
Finally you will need to pass a background check. This background check will examine your criminal and financial records. It will also evaluate your moral character. You will be required to provide the Board of Bar Examiners with all of the necessary materials needed for them to make a comprehensive evaluation of your situation. This may include letters of reference.
REGISTERING FOR THE EXAM
To register to sit for the Maine Bar Exam you will need to download, print out, complete, and submit an application package. These can be found on the Maine Board of Bar Examiners’ website.
Board of Bar Examiners
PO Box 140
Augusta, Maine 04332-0140
(207) 623-2462 Local Telephone Number
http://www.mainebarexaminers.org
THE EXAM’S FORMAT
The Maine Bar Exam is held in Portland the last week of February and during the last week of July. It is a two day exam that will include essays, performance tests, and a multiple choice section. On the first day of the exam you will be given five Maine State Law Essay Exam questions, as well as two Multistate Performance Test questions. On the second day of the Maine Bar Exam you will take the Multistate Bar Exam, which consists of 200 multiple choice questions that pertain to general legal topics and issues.
WHAT TO STUDY
As mentioned above, the first day of the Maine Bar Exam will focus on laws and legal procedures that are applicable in the state of Maine. Make sure that you not only study state statutes, but that you also practice legal writing and composition. The topics that are generally covered on day one include:
1. Maine Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure
2. Maine Rules of Appellate Procedure
3. Maine Rules of Evidence
4. Maine Code of Professional Responsibility
5. Conflict of Laws
6. Constitutional Law
7. Contracts
8. Corporations
9. Creditors’ Rights
10. Criminal Law
11. Equity
12. Estates
13. Wills and Trusts
14. Evidence
15. Family Law
16. Partnerships
17. Real Property
18. Statute of Frauds
19. Statutes of Limitations
20. Federal Income Taxation
21. Torts
22. Uniform Commercial Code
For a study materials please check out the following links:
1. Maine Rules of Civil Procedures located at http://www.courts.state.me.us/rules_forms_fees/rules/MRCivPOnly7-05.htm
2. Maine Rules of Criminal Procedures located at http://www.courts.state.me.us/rules_forms_fees/rules/MRCrimPOnly7-05.html
3. Maine Rules of Appellate Procedure located at http://www.courts.state.me.us/rules_forms_fees/rules/MRAppPOnly7-05.htm
4. Other rules, codes, and procedure guides can be found at http://www.courts.state.me.us
5. Uniform Commercial Code located at http://www.law.cornell.edu/ucc/ucc.table.html
On the second day of the Maine Bar Exam you will take the Multistate Bar Exam. This exam will be made up of 200 multiple choice questions that cover the following topics as they are generally applied throughout the United States of America:
1. Constitutional Law
2. Contracts and Sales
3. Criminal Law and Procedures
4. Evidence
5. Real Property
6. Torts
If you would like a study guide for this section you can visit the NCBE website at http://www.ncbex.org/.
