Wyoming Bar Exam: Information to Help You Take it and Pass

So you have completed your law school education and now you are ready to take your final steps towards becoming a Wyoming lawyer. It is now time to face the daunting task of taking the Wyoming Bar Exam. The Wyoming Bar Exam has a pass rate between 46-82%, so you have a good chance of passing if you prepare properly for it. There are many things that you will need to know before you sit for the Wyoming Bar Exam including: application procedures, testing format, and what will be covered on the exam. This article will provide you with this information and hopefully arm you with the knowledge needed to prepare for the great challenge of sitting for the Wyoming Bar Exam.

Application Procedure

State Board of Law Examiners
P.O. Box 109
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003-0109
(307) 632-9061
www.wyomingbar.org/admissions.asp

In order to qualify to sit for the Wyoming Bar Exam you will (1) need to have graduated from an ABA approved law school with a Juris Doctorate, (2) have good moral character and fitness to practice law, and (3) pass the MPRE with a score of at least 75.

Wyoming does have a reciprocity program, so you may be able to be admitted to the Wyoming Bar on a motion if you meet the following requirements: (1) you graduated from an ABA approved law school, (2) you have actively practiced law five of the last seven years, (3) you have completed 45 CLE credits in the last three years, and (4) you are of good moral character and are fit to practice law.

For more information about taking the MPRE you can write to the address below for a testing application packet.

National Conference of Bar Examiners
C/O MPRE
P.O. Box 4001
Iowa City, Iowa 52243

To download or request a complete application packet with testing information, requirements, and general information you will need to visit the Wyoming State Bar website at the address listed above. After you receive your packet you will need to fill out all of the forms and submit them by the stated deadlines, and you will need to enclose the appropriate application, examination, and late fees. These fees change annually, however, to give you an idea of the costs to expect the 2006 fees were $450 application fee, $150-$500 background check fees.

For more information about getting a background check, please contact the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

National Conference of Bar Examiners
402 W. Wilson Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53703-3614
(608) 280-8550

Testing Format

The Wyoming Bar Exam lasts two days, and it is given twice a year. Once in late February, and once in late January.

On day one of the Wyoming Bar Exam you will be taking the Multistate Bar Exam which consists of 200 multiple choice questions.

On the second and final day of the Wyoming Bar Exam you will be given 11 essay questions. Out of the eleven essays questions that are available you have to complete 10.

To pass the Wyoming Bar Exam you have to score 130 on the MBE section of the Bar Exam, and you must score 70% on the essay section of the Bar Exam. You also have to score 70% on at least 6 of the essays in order to pass.

Study Tips

Studying for the Wyoming Bar will be quite an undertaking. You will need to devote several months to studying procedures, laws, and information that you learned during your three years of law school. To help direct your studying it is highly recommended that you enroll in a Bar Exam Review course. Law schools and self-study institutes provide these courses. For a list of quality Bar Exam Review course please check out the Wyoming Bar Association’s website at: www.wyomingbar.org/admissions.asp.

In addition to enrolling in a Bar Exam Review course, you should also learn what will be on the examination and where you can go for study guides.

For the essay portion of the Wyoming Bar Exam you should review the following topics.

1. Administrative Law
2. Business Organizations
3. Civil Procedures
4. Commercial Papers
5. Constitutional Law
6. Contracts
7. Corporations
8. Criminal Law and Procedures
9. Domestic Relations
10. Evidence
11. Mortgages
12. Oil and Gas
13. Property
14. Sales
15. Secured Transactions
16. Torts
17. Trusts, Estates, and Wills
18. Water Law

What to Know About the Multistate Bar Exam

The Multistate Bar Exam is designed to test your general legal knowledge, and will cover the following topics:

1. Contracts
2. Criminal Law
3. Evidence
4. Real Property
5. Torts
6. Constitutional Law

Study Resources

To help you study, the following websites provide official rules of legal procedures for the state of Wyoming and for federal procedures.

For past Wyoming Bar Exam questions, application forms and general information go to:
www.wyomingbar.org/admissions.asp

For Wyoming Rules of Civil Procedures go to:
http://courts.state.wy.us/RULES/Civil%20Procedures.htm

For Federal Rules of Civil Procedures go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp

For Wyoming Rules of Professional Conduct go to:
http://courts.state.wy.us/RULES/Professional%20Conduct%20Conduct%20for%20Attorneys.html

For ABA Rules of Professional Conduct go to:
http://www.abanet.org/cpr/mrpc/mrpc_home.html

For Wyoming Rules of Evidence go to:
http://courts.state.wy.us/RULES/rules%20of%20evidence.html

For Federal Rules of Evidence go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/fre