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September 13, 2006
The Bar Exam -- Applications and Admissions
If you are a third-year law student, now is the time to be thinking about which state’s bar exam you will be taking next year. And no matter what year you are in, there are things you should know about bar exam applications and admissions now!
There are two primary elements to admission to a state bar – competence (established by completing undergraduate and law school degrees and passing the bar exam and professional responsibility exam) and character and fitness review. Problem areas in the character and fitness review element – which can result in delay or denial of an application for admission – include unlawful conduct, academic misconduct, neglect of financial responsibilities, evidence of mental or emotional instability, and evidence of drug or alcohol dependency. This is not to say that if your history includes any of the above you will not be able to sit for a bar exam or be admitted to a state’s bar. However, you need to be prepared for questions and to disclose information relating to these issues on your bar exam application and in character and fitness interviews. While your law school application may have included questions about some of the above, there will be much more scrutiny given by the bar exam authorities.
Something else to keep in mind is that the bar exam application process is very time-intensive. You may be asked for detailed information about your driving history from any states in which you have lived, lists of residences for ten or so years (and as students this can be hard to remember!), and references for all of your past employers. In other words, you can’t complete your application in one night!
It is also critical that you meet all application deadlines – late applications are not accepted. If you miss a deadline, you may have to wait until the next bar exam, and since they are only offered twice a year – in February and July – this can have a major impact on your career.
So, this is the time to be checking the application deadlines and requirements for your state or states of interest, and marking your calendar with upcoming deadlines. Links to every state’s bar exam authority can be accessed through the law school intranet at http://www.lawhome.cwru.edu/students/bar_websites.asp.
(This blog entry is adapted from an article in the August 2006 NALP Bulletin entitled “Beyond the Bar Exam: Counseling Students About Bar Admissions,” by Deborah Daddio, Director of Career Services at Quinnipiac University School of Law, and Maria Rivera, Director of Career Services at the University of Connecticut School of Law.)
Posted by smp20 at September 13, 2006 09:18 AM