After law school comes the bar exam, a final hurdle before practice. Preparing for the exam is intense and demanding‚ but you don’t have to do it alone! At Texas Law, we have resources and people to help. Director of Student Affairs Christopher Sokol is available to offer personalized advice and counseling and provide feedback on practice essays. Christopher also holds informational sessions and offers mock exams.
The information below is designed to help you navigate the bar exam successfully. If navigating this process is overwhelming, or confusing, or just plain intimidating, talk to us! With our guidance and your determination, we are confident that you will achieve your goals and embark on your legal career.
Bar Admission Process
Your first step is choosing where to take the bar exam and ensuring you’re eligible to take it. Each state has its own requirements and deadlines, so begin by reviewing these. Below are the requirements for Texas, California, and New York, the states most commonly selected by Texas Law students and new graduates.
Over the next several years, the bar exam will change for most US states, territories, and the District of Columbia. In most jurisdictions, the current bar exam is known as the Uniform Bar Examination (aka the “legacy UBE”). The new bar exam is called the NextGen UBE. Jurisdictions that use the UBE may also require applicants to complete jurisdiction-specific law component.
During the UBE transition period, examinees will have a choice: Whether to sit for the legacy UBE or the NextGen UBE. Both exams provide portable bar exam scores, meaning that a qualifying UBE score earned in one UBE jurisdiction may be used to apply for admission to other UBE jurisdictions. To find out if the jurisdiction in which you wish to be licensed administers and/or accepts scores earned through the UBE, visit https://www.ncbex.org/jurisdictions.
- Final administration of the legacy UBE in Texas: February 2028
- First administration of the NextGen UBE in Texas: July 2028
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- Submit a Declaration of Intention to Study Law by October 1st of 1L year (or within 60 days of transferring from an out-of-state school);
- Apply to take the bar exam after graduation; and
- Complete the Texas Law Component.
For more information about the bar admission process in Texas, visit the Board of Law Examiners website.
Texas Bar Exam Deadlines
Registration Opens Timely Filing Deadline Late Filing Deadline Final Filing Deadline February Exam June 30 September 1 November 1 ($150 late fee) December 1 ($300 late fee) July Exam December 4 February 1 April 1 ($150 late fee) May 1 ($300 late fee) For more information about the bar admission process in Texas, visit the Board of Law Examiners website.
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New York
- Final administration of the legacy UBE in Texas: February 2028
- First administration of the NextGen UBE in Texas: July 2028
J.D. students commencing their studies after July of 2016 must satisfy one of five pathways established under Section 520.18 of the New York Court of Appeals’ Rules for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law.
Applicants must also complete 50 pro bono hours prior to admission.
To learn more about bar admission in New York, visit the Board of Law Examiners website.
California
California does not use the Uniform Bar Exam. Instead, it requires the California Bar Examination. To learn more about bar admission in California, please review the Admissions Requirements.
For information about other state bar exams, visit the NCBEX website.
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Almost all states require that students pass the MPRE to be admitted to the bar. The MPRE is a two-hour, 60-question multiple-choice examination that is administered three times per year (August – November – March). We recommend that you take the MPRE exam during your 2L year. The registration deadline for the November 2023 MPRE is September 12, 2023.
MPRE Links:
Bar Preparation Courses
While we cannot tell you what to do, every student at Texas Law will get the same first piece of advice from us: Take a bar preparation course!
Each semester, at Texas Law Marketplace, a number of bar prep course providers visit campus. This event is a valuable opportunity for you to explore your options and select the course that best aligns with your needs.
We recognize that bar prep courses — and living expenses while studying for the bar — are expensive. Students pursuing public service careers, and other students with financial barriers to purchasing a course, may be eligible for financial assistance from the Law School.
Disability Accommodations
Receiving accommodations at the Law School does not guarantee that you will receive accommodations on either the MPRE or the bar exam. Each of these exams has a separate accommodations application process and requirements for documentation. You are encouraged to submit applications for accommodations as far in advance as possible.
Resources for after the Bar Exam
The State Bar of Texas has collected these resources for after the bar exam.