Vermont Bar Exam: A Basic Guide
The Vermont Bar Exam has a very simple format. On day one you take a multiple choice exam, and on day two you take an essay exam. While the format of this professional exam may be simple, passing it is not as easy. To pass the Vermont Bar Exam you will need to start preparing for the exam several months in advance. This preparation will need to include meeting testing requirements, registering for the exam, paying for the exam, and studying for the exam. This article will help guide you through this process by providing you with important information.
QUALIFICATIONS
To qualify for the Vermont Bar Exam you only need to meet a few requirements. The first qualification is that the candidate meets specific educational goals. This includes earning a bachelors degree from an accredited institutions, and earning a JD 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. Candidates also must be at least 18 years of age to sit for the exam. The fourth requirement is the candidate be a legal citizen of the United States or they must have permanent residency status to sit for the Vermont Bar Exam. The final qualification is that the candidate takes the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam, and passes it with a score of at least 80 points.
REGISTERING FOR THE EXAM
To register to sit for the Vermont Bar Exam you will need to download, print out, complete, and submit an application package. These can be found on the Board of Bar Examiners’ website.
Board of Bar Examiners
109 State Street
Montpelier, Vermont 05609-0702
(802) 828-3281 local phone number
http://www.vermontjudiciary.org
THE EXAM’S FORMAT
The Vermont Bar Exam is a two day event that is given in the city of Burlington during the last week of February and during the last week of July. On the first day of the Vermont Bar Exam you will take the Multistate Bar Exam. This exam consists of 200 multiple choice questions that cover a variety of general legal topics. On the second day of the exam you will be given six essay questions. To pass the Vermont Bar Exam you will need to pass both sections of the exam. To do this you will need at least a score of 135 for the Multistate Bar Exam, and at least a score of 36 on the essay exam.
WHAT TO STUDY
To prepare for the Vermont Bar Exam Essay you should review the following topics:
1. Constitutional Law
2. Evidence
3. Contracts
4. Criminal Law and Procedure
5. Real Property
6. Torts
7. Remedies
8. Community Property
9. Conflict of Laws
10. Persons and Domestic Relations
11. Corporations
12. Agency and Partnership
13. Wills, Estates, and Trusts
14. Uniform Commercial Code
15. Vermont Rules of Civil Procedure
16. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
17. Commercial Papers
18. Family Law
19. Sales
20. Secured Transactions
21. Future Interests
For a study materials please check out the following links:
1. Vermont Legal Code located at http://www.law.cornell.edu/states/vermont.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
4. You can also download past essay exams with answers from http://dol.state.vt.us/gopher_root5/board_bar_examiners/answers_feb96.html
To prepare for the Vermont 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/.
