Bar Exams

It is the student's responsibility to complete all work and meet all graduation requirements and be aware of all Bar Exam and admission requirements.

General Information

• For information about state bar examinations, visit the American Bar Association website.
• For information about state bar requirements, visit the National Conference of Bar Examiners website. You may find it helpful to search for specific bar examination information using such keywords as admissions, members, bar examination, deadlines, examination fees, registration forms, etc.
• Find out about Qualifications for Admission to the Bar.
• Watch videos from the Bar Application and Admission Information Meetings.
• Students graduating in September or January should contact the Office of Academic Services for the deadline of completion of work for prior semesters.

• NYU School of Law does not endorse or make any representations or warranties of any particular bar review course. We caution all students to exercise due diligence and thoroughly investigate any course prior to signing up. 

Before You Take the Bar:

• Update all contact information on Albert. We must be able to reach you if questions arise.
• If applicable, include an official transcript from another educational institution with your application materials.
  • Order this transcript well in advance of the deadline for filing your application, particularly if you attend a foreign law school.
  • We cannot provide copies of transcripts from other institutions that we may have in student files.
• Check with the Office of the Bursar to be sure that there are "HOLDS/STOPS"  on your NYU account.
  • A student who, at the time of graduation, is financially obligated to the University for tuition, housing (including summer housing after the final semester), library (library fines of $100 or more or lost books), or other services, will have a "HOLD" placed on their account, will not be cleared for graduation, be certified for state bar examinations, have official transcripts issued, or have a diploma issued until all arrears have been paid. 
• Contact the Student Health Center immediately if you need to clear any health requirement "HOLDS."
  •  A student who, at the time of graduation, is not in compliance with New York State Health Law requirements for immunization against measles, mumps and rubella and/or the requirement for either agreeing to waive the meningitis meningococcal vaccination or provide proof of the same, will not be certified and transcripts and the diploma will not be printed. (This may not apply to part-time LLM students who have always taken 5 or fewer credits each semester).
• Check the laptop programs for your specific Bar Exam jurisdiction. Some jurisdictions may use ExamSoft.  See a demonstration of the test taking software.

Before Admission to a State Bar:

• You may need to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). 
  • In addition to the Bar Exam, some jurisdictions require you to pass the MPRE Exam.
  • Check the MPRE website for detailed information. The exam is usually given in March/August/November.
  • We strongly encourage students enrolled in the Pro Bono Scholars Program to take the MPRE in November at the latest.

Before Admission to the New York State Bar:

• Take the Uniform Bar Examination for New York State (UBE).

  • Upon recommendation of the Advisory Committee on the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), the New York Court of Appeals adopted the UBE effective with the July 2016 administration of the New York State bar examination. The Advisory Committee also recommended, and the Court of Appeals adopted, a requirement that applicants for admission in New York be required to complete an online course on New York law and take and pass an online examination on New York law, as a requirement for admission. See the report of the Advisory Committee.

  • See the Uniform Bar Examination Informational Guide on the New York State Board of Law Examiners website.

  • March 28, 2016 notice from BOLE regarding updates to UBE, NYLC, and NYLE (PDF: 26.2 KB).

• Take the New York Law Course (NYLC).

  • The NYLC is an online, on-demand course on important and unique aspects of New York law in the subjects of Administrative Law, Business Relationships, Civil Practice and Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Matrimonial and Family Law, Professional Responsibility, Real Property, Torts and Tort Damages, and Trusts, Wills and Estates.

  • The NYLC consists of approximately 15 hours of videotaped lectures with embedded questions which must be answered correctly before an applicant can continue viewing the lecture.

• Take the New York Law Exam (NYLE).

  • An open book test developed by the Board of Law Examiners, the NYLE is a 50 item multiple-choice test, offered four times per year.
  • See the dates and times of administration as well as the registration deadlines.
    • NOTE:  Before you schedule your NYLE Exam, be sure to check for conflicts with your law school exams, as postponements of your law school exams may not be granted.
  • Applicants must complete the NYLC before they can take the NYLE.
  • An applicant who fails the NYLE will be required to retake both the NYLC and the NYLE.

• Complete the 50-Hour Pro Bono Requirement.

  • All candidates now seeking admission, with the exception of admission on motion candidates, will need to file documentation showing that they have completed 50 hours of qualifying pro bono work, as required by Rule 520.16 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals. 
  • See more information about the Pro Bono work at NYU Law. If you have any questions, please contact Carolina van der Mensbrugghe.

• Complete the Character and Fitness Form.

  • Character and Fitness forms for the New York State Bar are submitted after the Bar Exam. Access the NY state form.
  • Character and Fitness timing and procedures may vary depending on the jurisdiction; please check with each state bar directly.
  • Please read the Moral Character and Fitness section of the Code of Recommended Standards for Bar Examiners, which is included in the NCBE's Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements
• Complete the Skills Competency and Professional Values Requirement Form.

  • Applicable to students commencing the JD in August 2016 or later  - use Pathway 1

  • Applicable to students commencing the LLM in August 2018 or later - use Pathway 4 or Pathway 5

For various forms visit the New York Bar Admissions Information Site.