Bar examination

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A bar examination is an series of tests conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction.

In the United States

Bar examinations in the United States of America are administered by agencies of state governments. These agencies are usually an office of the state supreme court or a committee of the state bar association.

The American bar examination usually consists of the following:

several complicated essay questions that test knowledge of that jurisdiction's law;
the Multistate Bar Examination, a standardized, multiple-choice nationwide examination containing generalized questions about common law; and
some sort of test demonstrating the applicant's knowledge of the ethical rules governing lawyers, usually the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination. In many jurisdictions this exam is administered separately.

Some jurisdictions, like California, also require a performance test as a more realistic measure of actual lawyering skill; the candidate is presented with a stack of documents representing a fictional case and is asked to draft a memorandum, motion, or opinion document. Many jurisdictions that include such a test use the Multistate Performance Test (though not California).

Bar examinations are usually held at least once or twice annually, in large convention centers.

Bar examination

In the United States

See also