Rhode Island Bar Exam: A Basic Guide

Just because Rhode Island is a small state, doesn’t mean that its Bar Exam is any easier than larger states. In fact it is a very challenging professional exam that will require months of preparation. Bar Candidates who wish to sit for the Rhode Island Bar Exam should read this article before they begin their preparation as it outlines most of the information that is needed to effectively prepare for the Rhode Island Bar Exam.

QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify for the Rhode Island Bar Exam you only need to meet a few requirements. The first qualification is that the candidate has a law degree from an ABA approved law school. The second qualification is that the candidate be of good moral character. To meet this requirement you will need to undergo a criminal and financial background check. The final requirement is that the candidate must take the Multistate Professional Responsibilities Exam and pass it with a score of at least 80 points. The state of Rhode Island will accept MPRE scores that are no older than two years old.

REGISTERING FOR THE EXAM

To register to sit for the Rhode Island Bar Exam you will need to download, print out, complete, and submit an application package. These can be found on the Rhode Island Supreme Court’s website.

Clerk, Supreme Court
Providence County
Courthouse
250 Benefit Street
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-4233 local phone number
http://www.courts.state.ri.us

THE EXAM’S FORMAT

The Rhode Island Bar Exam is a two day event that is given in the city of Providence during the last week of February and during the last week of July. On the first day of the exam you will be given twelve essay questions. On the second day you will be given the Multistate Bar Exam. This exam is made up of 200 multiple choice questions that cover general legal topics that are applicable to all, or most, of the jurisdictions in the United States.

There are two ways in which you can pass the Rhode Island Bar Exam. The first way is to pass the MBE section with a score of at least 140 and pass the essay section with at least seven out of twelve points. If you don’t do very well on the MBE section and you earn a score of only 135 points, then you can still pass the Rhode Island Bar exam if you pass the essay segment of the exam with a score of at least nine points out of 12.

WHAT TO STUDY

To prepare for the Rhode Island Essay Exam study the following topics:

1. Agency and partnership
2. Commercial papers
3. Conflict of Laws
4. Corporations and Limited Liability Companies
5. Decedents’ Estates
6. Family Law
7. Federal Civil Procedure
8. Sales
9. Secured Transactions
10. Trusts and Future Interests

For a study materials please check out the following links:

1. Rhode Island Legal Code located at http://www.law.cornell.edu/states/ri.html
2. Uniform Commercial Code located at http://www.law.cornell.edu/ucc/ucc.table.html
3. You can request sample MEE essay questions by writing to: National Conference of Bar Examiners, 402 West Wilson Street, Madison, WI 53703-3614

To prepare for the Rhode Island Bar Exam you will also need to study for 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/.