Graduate Services

State Bar Exams
Each jurisdiction has its own admissions process. Most require a state administered essay exam and the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE). You should check the requirements for the jurisdiction in which you plan to take the bar exam.

• The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is a six-hour, two-hundred question multiple-choice examination covering contracts, torts, constitutional law, criminal law, evidence, and real property developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) and is administered by participating jurisdictions on the last Wednesday in February and the last Wednesday in July of each year. For complete information, visit the NCBE website. Applicants should contact the jurisdiction where admission is being sought to ascertain whether the MBE is part of the jurisdiction's examination.

Applications and Deadlines
The application process and deadlines are different for each jurisdiction administering a bar exam.  In addition to the information here about New York and New Jersey, we have provided frequently asked questions (FAQ's) for the five jurisdictions in which BLS students most frequently take the bar exam; New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, and Florida.
 
Connecticut Bar Exam - Important Change
Beginning in February 2010, up to half of the essay portion of the exam will be drawn from the MultiState Essay Examination as produced by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE).  As a result, the CT bar examination will no longer be administered on Wednesday and Thursday, but will instead be administered on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thus, it will no longer be possible to sit for certain bar exams, such as NY concurrently with the CT bar exam; however, individuals will now be able to sit concurrently in other jurisdictions such as MA where this was previously impossible. Please visit http://www.jud.ct.gov/CBEC/ for more information.
 
New York Bar Exam
Applications for the July 24 and 25, 2012 NYS Bar Exam must either be filed on-line or by contacting the Board's office to request a paper application, which must be received in the Board's office during the filing period, November April1 - April 30, 2012. An application is considered filed when it is filed electronically online at the Board's website or otherwise received in the Board's office together with the prescribed fee during the application period. There is no provision for late filing. To access the on-line application, click on the Bar Exam Applications and Forms link located on the homepage of the NYSBOLE website for the "Online Application" when it becomes available.

• Application Deadline Notice: the application period for the NYS BOLE July 2012 examination opens on Sunday, April 1, 2012 and closes at 11:59 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012.  The Board's office is not open on Saturday and cannot take phone calls, receive mail or deliveries from overnight services on Saturdays.  The Board strongly encourage you to apply during normal business hours on or before Monday, April 30, 2012 so that you can contact the Board in the event of technical difficulties.
• The Handwriting Specimen Form is required by the New York State Board of Law Examiners in order to take the bar exam. The form must be completed during the month of April (for the July bar exam) and during the month of November (for the February bar exam). This Form must be completed in the presence of a representative from the Registrar's Office and photo identification is required.  Upon graduation, the handwriting specimen and an official transcript, in lieu of the Law School Certificate of Attendance, will be submitted on the student's behalf to the NYS Board of Law Examiners.
• Transfer of a prior MBE Score: beginning with the February 2011 bar examination, the NYSBOLE has amended Rule 6000.6(g) concerning the transfer of MBE scores to New York from another jurisdiction.  The Board will no longer accept the transfer of MBE scores earned from a prior administration of the MBE in another jurisdiction.  They will continue to allow the transfer of concurrent MBE scores earned in another jurisdiction.

New Jersey State Bar Exam
Applications and complete instructions for the July 25 and 26, 2012 NJS Bar Exam are available on the  New Jersey Board Of Bar Examiners (NJBOBE) website. Please note that the Certified Statement of Character can be submitted electronically.  Items that must be completed and returned directly to the Board of Bar Examiners are the Application, the Authorization and Release forms, and the certified check or money order for the fee due at the time the application is submitted.  The deadline for filing a timely application is April 1, 2012 (postmark/hand deliver date).  If you file after this date, late fees will apply.  The final date for filing is Mary 15, 2012 (postmark/hand deliver date).  Refer to the Fees and Deadlines section of the application instructions for more detailed information.
 
Bar Loans
For further information you may contact Florence Attino or Janet Solomon in the Office of Financial Aid (718) 780-7915.

The Board of Law Examiners from various states requires the law school to confirm the conferral of your law degree. This is done by sending an official transcript, completion of a Law School Certification form or a letter as required by the state you have applied to take the bar exam. Some states bar Board of Law Examiners will:
 
Either:
(a) send a certification list to BLS with the student’s names for us to confirm the law degree.
(b) mail the form to the student who is responsible for completing a section of the form and then submitting it to the Registrar’s office for completion.

OR

(c) the student is responsible for downloading the form from the respective state bar website, completing a section of the form and then submitting it to the Registrar’s office for completion.

For additional information, contact the Registrar's Office at (718) 780-7913.

Please note that there are deadlines for submission of these forms to the individual state bar offices. Access to the various state bars are available at www.barexam.org.

The New York Board of Law Examiners requires that each applicant complete the handwriting specimen form. BLS sends this form along with a final official transcript in lieu of the Law School Certificate of Attendance form to the Board after graduation and to meet their deadlines.

Applicants for admission to the bar must demonstrate that they have the personal qualities required to practice law and also the necessary character to justify the trust and confidence that clients, the public and the legal system will put in them. Before admission to the bar, some state bars require the school to complete and submit a Law School Certificate form along with supporting documents on the student’s behalf to the Character and Fitness Committee. Others may require this information to be submitted when certifying students to take their bar examination. Supporting documents can be in the form of:

• Applicant’s law school application and all supplements to the application
• Information with respect to social or academic misconduct prior to and while in attendance at BLS

New York
In New York, the reviewing of the applicants past conduct to ensure honesty, diligence and trustworthiness is undertaken by the Appellate Division Committees on Character and Fitness in each judicial department. Following the bar examination, a list of applicants names and addresses who took the exam is sent from the Board of Law Examiners (BOLE) to the respective judicial departments. Each department informs the applicants on its list via letter about the process of admission for the Character and Fitness Committee. Admission information is available at the BOLE website.
 
Questions on admission to the bar, swearing in and Character and Fitness application materials should be directed to the appropriate Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. Applicants are encouraged to submit the requested information before the bar results are available.

The New York Lawyer's Assistance Trust has provided a brochure regarding the Character and Fitness requirements for admission to the practice of law in New York State. This brochure provides information to students regarding conduct that may be cause for concern in the bar admission process. 

New Jersey
It is the responsibility of every candidate for admission to the Bar of the State of New Jersey to make available all information required by the Committee on Character. Candidates shall be required to demonstrate their ability to practice law in this State and they must possess the required traits of honesty, integrity, financial responsibility, and trustworthiness. It is mandatory for each candidate to file a Certified Statement of Candidate with the Secretary to the Committee on Character on or before a date set by the Committee. The Statement shall be in the form prescribed by the Committee.

The National Conference of Bar Examiners conducts character and fitness investigations on applicants whether they are seeking admission to the bar or a limited license to practice law.  However, not all jurisdictions participate in the NCBE Character and Fitness Investigations service; therefore, applicants should consult with the jurisdiction to which they seek admission to determine if the NCBE participate in this service. A regularly updated list of contact information for the jurisdictions appears on the Bar Admission Offices page.

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a sixty question, two-hour and five minute, multiple choice exam assembled and administered by ACT, Inc., on behalf of the National Conference of Bar Examiners. Applicants take the MPRE as partial fulfillment of the requirements for application for admission to practice law in jurisdictions that require the MPRE. For complete information, visit the NCBE website.

The examination is administered at established test centers across the country three times per year:

• March
• August
• November

Since the requirements for accepting an MPRE score vary from one jurisdiction to another, check with the board(s) of bar examiners in each jurisdiction to which you intend to apply before completing the application materials. Examination results will be forwarded to one jurisdiction of your choice and will be kept on file at the office of the National Conference of Bar Examiners in Iowa City, Iowa. For information about reports to additional jurisdictions, refer to the MPRE Score Reports section of their website.