Michigan Bar Exam: A Basic Guide
The Michigan Bar Exam is a 215 questions gauntlet that everyone who wishes to practice law in Michigan must take. This exam is made up of 15 essay questions and 200 multiple choice questions. To prepare for this exam you will need to study specific topics that relate to both federal law and procedures, as well as Michigan state laws and procedures. This articles will help outline what will be on the exam, and it will also help you find free study materials and help.
QUALIFICATIONS
The state of Michigan has several requirements for sitting for the Michigan Bar Exam. The first requirement is that the candidate must be at least 18 years of age when they take the exam. Secondly they must be of good moral character. In addition to these qualifications the Michigan Bar candidate must also have completed at least 60 semester hours of undergraduate education from an accredited educational institution, and they must be a graduate of a JD program from an ABA approved law school. If you have not graduated from an ABA law school you can ask the Board of Law Examiners to review your school to see if it meets their requirements for educational reputability and qualifications. The final requirement that the state of Michigan has to sit for the Michigan Bar Exam is that candidates must take the Multistate Professional Responsibilities Exam, and they must pass it with a score of at least 75 points.
REGISTERING FOR THE EXAM
To register to sit for the Michigan Bar Exam you will need to download, print out, complete, and submit an application package. These can be found on the Michigan State Board of Law Examiners’ website.
Board of Law Examiners
200 Washington Square, Lower Level
PO Box 30104
Lansing, Michigan 48909
(517) 334-6992 Local Telephone Number
http://www.michbar.org
THE EXAM’S FORMAT
The Michigan Bar Exam is a two day event that is held in Lansing during the last week of February and during the last week of July each year. On the first day of the Michigan Bar Exam you will be given fifteen Michigan State Law Essay Exam questions. On the second day of the exam you will take the Multistate Bar Exam, which consists of 200 multiple choice questions that focus on general legal topics and issues.
WHAT TO STUDY
As mentioned above, the first day of the Michigan Bar Exam will focus on laws and legal procedures that are applicable in the state of Michigan. Make sure that you not only study state and federal statutes, but that you also practice legal writing and composition. The topics that are generally covered on day one include:
1. Real and Personal Property
2. Wills and Trusts
3. Contracts
4. Constitutional Law
5. Criminal Law and Procedure
6. Corporations, Partnerships, and Agency
7. Evidence
8. Creditor’s Rights
9. State and Federal Practices and Procedures for Trial and Appellate Courts
10. Equity
11. Torts
12. Uniform Commercial Code
13. Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct
14. Domestic Relations
15. Conflicts of Laws
16. Worker’s Compensation
For a study materials please check out the following links:
1. Michigan Rules of Civil Procedures located at http://www.serve-now.com/resources/process-serving-laws/Michigan/
2. Michigan Rules of Criminal Procedures located at http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/stats/609.html
3. Michigan Codes located at http://www.law.msu.edu/library/substantive/michigan.html
4. Uniform Commercial Code located at http://www.law.cornell.edu/ucc/ucc.table.html
On the second day of the Michigan 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/.
