Bar Exam
Other Links: ABA: Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements
ABA: Bar Admissions Main Page
When is the Bar Exam offered?
The Bar Exam is typically offered in the end of July and the end of February. You can obtain applications for the bar and other information at the following sites: New Jersey: http://www.njbarexams.org/bar1.htm
Pennsylvania: http://www.pabarexam.org
New York: http://www.nybarexam.org
*for links to nearly all other states: http://www.barexam.org
What are the application deadlines?
The New Jersey Bar Exam will be held on July 29th – 30th, 2009.
The New York Bar Exam will be held on July 28th-30th, 2009.
Applications for the July NJ Bar Exam are accepted beginning on February 1st. The corresponding fees are as follows:
| Date | Cost |
|---|---|
| Feb. 2 to April 1, 2009 | $475 |
| April 2 to April 17, 2009 | $525 |
| Aril 18 to May 1, 2009 | $575 |
| May 2 to May 15, 2009 | $625 |
| May 16 to May 29, 2009 | $675 |
*the application must be postmarked or hand delivered by the dates listed
Applications for the NY Bar must be postmarked no more than 120 days, nor less than 90 days prior to the respective exam date. For example a student taking the Bar Exam in July could safely submit his/her application in the beginning of April. Late filing is not permitted. The application fee is $250.
What is the time and duration of the Bar Exam:
In NJ, NY, and PA the essay portion of the exam is one day. It usually consists of 6 or 7 essays on one or multiple subjects each. The NY and PA essay portions are offered on Tuesday, Wednesday is the Multistate, and Thursday is the NJ essay portion. This means that at this time one may take the NJ and NY exams or the NJ and PA exams. The Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) is another full day. It consists of multiple choice questions covering primarily first year law school course subjects. Lastly, you will be required to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE). The exam is administered in March, November, and August. It is recommended that you take it in the year prior to graduating. Although this test is required in many states, if you received a C or better in Professional Responsibility NJ does not require that you take it.
What should I do to review for the Bar Exam?
BAR/BRI: widely used course that offers outlines, final exam review lectures, and study aids throughout law school and a comprehensive bar review course following graduation. For more information about BAR/BRI visit the table on the second floor on Wednesdays. Visit www.barbri.com for more information.
PMBR: a six or three day course, often used by students as a supplement to BAR/BRI, which prepares students for the multistate bar exam. Visit www.pmbr.com for more information.
ADAPTIBAR: a web-based review course that offers practice questions as well as explanations of the correct answers for each. Visit www.adaptibar.com for more information.
MICRO-MASH: also a computer-based MBE review, additionally offers 22 state bar reviews. Visit www.micromash.net for more information.
PEIPER: An 8 week review course that focuses on the Multistate and New York Bar Exams. Visit www.pieperbar.com for more information.
Supreme Bar Review: offers a complete preparation for the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), including lectures on DVD video, comprehensive outlines, and practice testing materials. A complete review for the MPRE exam is also offered. Visit http://supremebarreview.com for more information.
Marino Legal: Professor Marino from NYU Law School runs a tutoring service for the bar exam. Information about tutoring programs can be found at http://www.marinolegal.com
Emanuel Bar Prep: Aspen Publishers is presenting two three-week-long courses, a Refresher Course and an MBE Workshop, over the summer. For more information on pricing and dates, visit www.emanuelbarprep.com
What content should I expect to see on the Bar Exam?
The material covered on the Multistate and on the NJ exam is the same – Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Civil Procedure, Contracts, Constitutional Law, Property, and Torts.
The NY exam will cover the topics above as well as Business Relationships, Conflict of Laws, New York Constitutional Law, Criminal Procedure, Family Law, Remedies, New York and Federal Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure, Professional Responsibility, Trusts, Wills and Estates and UCC Articles 2, 3, and 9. All questions on the NY bar exam, unless specifically stated as dealing with federal law, are based on the law of NY.
What this means for Seton Hall Law students is that in addition to taking the courses required by the law school, you should also take Criminal Procedure I, Marriage and Divorce, Remedies, Conflicts, Estates and Trusts, and Commercial Law. All other topics are subsumed in the required curriculum of the law school.