Registering for the Bar Exam

Only two months into the fall semester, and already 1Ls need to start registering for the bar exam and 3Ls need to start filling out bar exam applications. Future California lawyers only have 90 days into the first year of law school to register by the priority deadline. Fellow Illinois residents have some more time, not having to register until March 1. Other states leave more time and let students register in their third year without a penalty.

States requiring law student registration before filing a bar exam application are Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas. Most of these states require the registration to be completed during the first year of law school to avoid hefty late fees.

In Illinois, students can expect to pay $350 versus a $100 fee if not registered for the bar by March 1 of the first year of law school. In order to check state deadlines and specific requirements, law students can visit the National Conference of Bar Examiners at http://www.ncbex.org/offices.htm and the links will lead to specific state bar exam sites which will outline a step-by-step process for registering and applying to the bar exam.

First year students should remember that even after registering during the first year, the application for the bar exam still needs to be completed during the third year of law school.

For those 1Ls who have enough trouble figuring out what to eat for lunch, much less where they want to practice law, it may be advisable to consider putting off registering in one particular state until a firm decision is made. Although, there is no penalty other than the registration fee for registering in one state and ending up not actually taking the bar in that particular state.
Third year students also need to start filling out applications for the actual bar exam with deadlines beginning as early as December 1, with most state deadlines in January, February, and March. Ultimately, costs for filing late can span over $1000 giving a new meaning to the term “late fee.” Going to the NCBEX link above will lead you to specific state websites with information on how to file a timely application for the bar exam.

In addition to the bar exam, every state except Maryland, Washington, and Wisconsin require law students (usually 3Ls) to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination in order to be admitted to the state bar. This test is given in March, August, and November and students can register for the MPRE directly at http://www.ncbex.org/tests.htm or by visiting their state bar website.