Accommodations Timeline

Fall of 1L

___Register with the Committee of Bar Examiners within 90 days of entering law school.

___Begin a file to maintain information about past and present accommodations.  The file should track all nonstandard testing conditions used during law school exams (accommodated time, specific environmental conditions, or other specific assistance) and how those measures mitigated the impact of your disability.

___If you have a permanent disability that will not change by the time you take the bar exam, apply for accommodations as soon as possible. 

Fall of 2L

You have the option of taking the MPRE anytime after completing your first year of law school.  If you are planning to take the bar exam the year you graduate, think about the documentation you will need for both the MPRE and the bar.

___Gather whatever historical documentation you have available, including old diagnostic exams and any history of accommodations you’ve had in the past.

___Make an appointment to see your physician or diagnostician to discuss your exam needs.  Time your visit so that it will be current for both the MPRE and the bar. Be sure that the doctor or diagnostician you visit has the credentials to evaluate your disability and accommodation needs.  If the person completing your forms is deemed unqualified, your application will be rejected.

___If you have a disability that requires documentation within 5 years of the exam filing deadline, think about what documentation you have and whether it will need to be updated. 

___If you have a disability that requires documentation within one year of your exam filing deadline, plan to take the MPRE during the summer after 2L or the fall of your 3L year.

Fall of 3L

___Complete all forms necessary for the bar exam. If you have not taken the MPRE, complete your documentation for the MPRE and the bar exam at the same time so that you don’t have to visit your doctor or diagnostician twice.  If you received accommodations during law school, ask your school’s Disability  Resource Program to complete verification forms.

• The MPRE petition is in letter format rather than a form. However, think of all the questions that you will need to answer for the bar exam.  Be sure to also address those questions in your written request for accommodations on the MPRE.

___Submit all forms, in one petition, to the National Conference of Bar Examiners and the California Committee of Bar Examiners as soon as you have all required documentation.

Note: The State Bar’s Petition for Testing Accommodations (Form A) advises students to have the law school forward the applicant’s history of accommodations (Form F).  However, for efficacy it is best collect Form F from your law school and send it with all other materials.

• Keep in mind that no matter how complete you believe your documentation is, the NCBE and the Committee may ask for more information or outright deny your petition.  You want time to provide more information and exhaust all remedies.

Deadlines

For the California Bar Exam

The deadline for filing for accommodations is the same as the late filing deadline for filing for the bar exam.  Use the late filing deadline for reference only, not as a target for submitting your petition.

The California Bar Exam is administered in February and July of each year.

• If you are taking the California Bar exam in July, you need to submit requests no later than June 15.
• If you are taking the California Bar Exam in February, you need to submit requests no later than January 15.

However, applicants are strongly discouraged from waiting until the last day to apply.

Keep in mind that the initial processing of a petition generally takes at least 30 days.

Petitions requiring additional documentation or review will take longer to process.

Emergency Petitions

Emergency petitions for testing accommodations are available if an applicant is injured after the filing deadline. Emergency petitions will be accepted up until 10 days before the first day of the examination.  

In addition to providing the required documentation, your must explain why the petition was not filed in timely manner.  A newly diagnosed illness or impairment is not considered grounds for filing an emergency petition if the applicant had symptoms of the illness before the filing deadline. The inability to get an appointment with a treating physician or diagnostician is not grounds for an emergency petition. 

Even if you have a valid reason for filing an emergency petition and you establish your disability and need for accommodations, timing matters.   The Committee may not extend accommodations if they cannot be arranged in a reasonable amount of time before the exam administration.  Send your emergency petition in as soon as possible.

Extending Petitions

If your receive accommodations and fail the bar exam, your approved accommodations are not automatically extended for the next exam.  You must petition again for accommodations.

Applicants with permanent disabilities may petition to use the same accommodations here.

Applicants with temporary disabilities or those seeking different accommodations from those previously offered must file an initial petition.

For the MPRE

The MPRE is administered three times per year in March, August and November.

• For the March exam, petitions are due the last week of January.  Late petitions will be accepted no later than the mid February.
• For the August exam, petitions are due the last week of June.  Late petitions will be accepted no later than the mid July. For the November exam, petitions are due the last week of September.  Late petitions will be accepted no later than Mid October.

The NCBE does not consider requests for accommodations that are received after the late registration deadline.