Bar Info

For answers to any specific questions or to access application forms visit the State Bar of California website.

FIRST YEAR LAW STUDENTS

Pursuant to Rule V, Section 2 of the Rules Regulating Admission to Practice Law in California, every general applicant for admission to practice law in California shall file a registration application with the Committee of Bar Examiners not later than 90 days after he or she begins the study of law and shall pay the registration fee. General applicant registration no later than 90 days after beginning law study is required by California Statute and cannot be waived.

Register with the California Bar.

MORAL CHARACTER AND FITNESS REQUIREMENTS

All students should be aware that in order to practice law, it is necessary to be admitted to a state bar after graduating from law school.  Each state bar has character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission.  Students are advised to determine what those requirements are in the state(s) in which they intend to practice.  Information on state bar exams and links to most state bar offices can be found on the National Conference of Bar Examiners website.  Most states require bar applicants to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), the Multistate Bar Examination, and to complete a moral character application.

• MULTISTATE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY EXAMINATION (MPRE)  In addition to passing the California Bar Examination, applicants for admission to practice law in California must take and pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) in accordance with Rule VIII of the Rules Regulating Admission to Practice Law in California. The MPRE is assembled and administered by ACT, Inc., on behalf of the National Conference of Bar Examiners. The examination is a sixty question, two-hour, multiple-choice examination administered three times each year at established test centers across the country. For more information, applicants should go to the National Conference of Bar Examiners' web site. Applicants can register to take the test. Paper applications can be picked up in the Records Office during normal business hours.

• MORAL CHARACTER APPLICATIONS  To obtain a license to practice law, an applicant must meet the pre-legal and legal education requirements, pass the specified examinations and must possess good moral character mandated by the Business and Professions Code and outlined in the Rules Regulating Admission to Practice Law in California. The Committee of Bar Examiners through its Subcommittee on Moral Character conducts the inquiry into an applicant's background. This process generally takes four to six months to complete. It is recommended that applicants file the moral character application no later than the beginning of their last year of law school so there is no delay in certification upon passage of the necessary examinations.

For more information on the Moral Character Application Process and forms please visit .

BAR EXAMINATION

The California Bar exam is administered twice a year, in February and July. For more information on the Bar and how to apply visit the Bar website.

EXAM DATES: