Bar Preparation

Navigating Admission into the Practice of Law  

 

A Message from the Director

Welcome to the Bar Program Office. Your time in law school marks a pivotal transition—from academic study to professional practice. As you prepare for this next chapter, it's important to stay informed. The bar exam landscape is evolving, and while we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date resources, changes in content, procedures, and policies may occur. We encourage you to regularly check this website and subscribe to updates from your jurisdiction(s) of choice when available.

We are excited to share that our bar preparation services have expanded. At the heart of this transformation is a new multi-year partnership with Barbri, a leading provider of bar exam study materials. Through this partnership:

  • Graduating students automatically receive a comprehensive post-graduation bar prep course tailored to their jurisdiction of choice.
  • All students gain access to Barbri’s subject-matter resources throughout law school, including lectures, outlines, handouts, practice questions, and diagnostic tools.
  • Graduating students are encouraged to enroll in our redesigned 2-credit in-house bar preparation course, offered in both Fall and Spring semesters. This course covers the full bar admission process—from exam preparation to character and fitness clearance—and complements your commercial bar study after graduation.

If you have questions or need support, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Bar Program Office. We are here to guide you every step of the way and remain committed to your success—until you pass the bar and beyond.

We look forward to working with you.

Bar Program Office Contact Information

Contact Us

Please contact our office at any time. To set up an appointment, please reach out to Emily Martinez at e.martinez@law.umaryland.edu.

Micah YarbroughDirector, Academic Achievement and Bar Program(410) 706-3943

No pathway into legal practice is the same. Each U.S. jurisdiction sets specific requirements for admission.  The bar exam is only one step in that process. At first, the process may seem daunting.  However, with commitment and determination, it can be done.  Students are strongly advised to research and identify the requirements for admission for the jurisdiction(s) of their interest.

Links

In most jurisdictions, including Maryland, the bar exam is administered twice a year, at the end of February and July. Generally, a bar exam tests applicants for admission on a pre-selected comprehensive array of legal subjects and foundational skills identified as essential to legal practice.  Applicants are assessed through multiple-choice questions (MBE), short essays and timed performance tests (MPTs/PTs).

Current exams follow two main formats, traditional and the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE).  The traditional format offers the MBE, essays crafted by the testing jurisdiction, and potentially an MPT.  Under the UBE format, the exam consists of the MBE, essays designed by the NCBE (MEEs), and MPTs.  Under both formats, passage is determined by attaining a minimum cut-score.  However, under the UBE, applicants may also apply for admission in neighboring jurisdictions, by transferring their score to as many UBE-jurisdictions as their score permits.

Beginning in July 2026, the NextGen, a new bar examination, will be administered in several jurisdictions including Maryland, and will eventually replace the current UBE. Applicants, under the NextGen, will be assessed across fewer subject areas but with greater emphasis placed on foundational lawyering skills including client relationships and management.  The exam will also introduce new assessment types including integrated question sets.

Students are strongly encouraged to check with their jurisdiction(s) of choice for updates.

 

Links

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a two-hour, 60-question multiple-choice exam given three times per year testing an applicant’s knowledge of the Model Rules of Professional Responsibility and Model Rules of Judicial Conduct. This exam is required for admission to the bars of all jurisdictions but Wisconsin and Puerto Rico.

Students should prepare for this exam by taking both the Legal Professions course and any one of many free commercial courses available.  MPRE preparation materials are included within your Barbri Partnership academic resources.

Links

 

Demonstration of character and fitness, sometimes referred to as moral turpitude, is among the essential elements required for bar admission in every jurisdiction. In addition to completing a detailed written application, some applicants must also undergo rigorous follow-ups including a personal interview or supplemental document submissions.

The scope of the inquiry is expansive and will likely require a significant investment in time to satisfactorily respond to questions.  Typical inquiries delve into past educational and employment histories, criminal and civil legal matters, issues of financial responsibility and past/present academic infractions, if they exist. Students should check the website for their jurisdiction of choice for a sample character questionnaire before beginning this aspect of the admissions process.

As part of Character & Fitness, jurisdictions routinely consult with the Law School to confirm your graduation status and ask whether you have exhibited behavior or conduct that raises significant concerns about your character or fitness for admission. In Maryland, we will receive a form titled "Certification as to Law School."

Please send all bar certification forms, including those titled Dean's Certification form, to barcertification@law.umaryland.edu. If the jurisdiction's board of law examiners prefers to send the form directly to Maryland Carey Law, it should also be sent to barcertification@law.umaryland.edu.  Note that the Office of Student Services processes these forms in the order they are received. Due to the high volume of requests, there is typically a turnaround time of 1-2 weeks. You will receive an email notification once your request has been processed.

If your form requires you to list a law school contact, please provide the following information:

 

Name: Mr. Steven Boggs

Title: Director of Registration and Enrollment

Email address: barcertification@law.umaryland.edu

Phone number: (410) 706-5235

 

Make sure to include your full name, DOB (mm/dd/yyyy), date of graduation, return address, due date for receipt of the form, and a contact phone number or email address in your email to barcertification@law.umaryland.edu.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the Office of Student Services at barcertification@law.umaryland.edu or call (410) 706-5235.

Like testing provided in law school, applicants may receive accommodation assistance on the bar exam and other related bar admission assessments such as the MPRE or state-specific exams.  Applicants, however, should not presume that their law school accommodation awards automatically transfer to the bar exam.

In all cases, applicants must prepare a detailed request and receive approval from the governing testing body prior to sitting for an exam.  Likewise, the presumption of proof rests with the applicant to prove a current medical need for accommodations, proof of past accommodations, and prior standardized test score reports.

Students are strongly encouraged to explore state online resources and contact the Bar Program Office and/or Office of Student Services for guidance in requesting testing accommodations.

Links

We want all our graduates to thrive. To that end, we prioritize bar preparation from law school acceptance to graduation. Our building blocks to bar success are curated especially for that purpose.

  • Lawyering Fundamentals – our pre-1L course provides interactive modules, synced to Barbri materials, covering case briefing, outlining, essay writing and other helpful law school success strategies that demystify some of the law school teaching methods, so you succeed faster in the classroom.
  • Maryland Carey Law-Barbri Partnership – our exclusive partnership agreement with Barbri, one of the nation’s leading commercial bar providers, guarantees every enrolled student an extensive suite of study resources for use in the classroom. After graduation, students, who do not opt-out, automatically receive BARBRI’s premium comprehensive bar review course for the jurisdiction of their choice - UBE, non-UBE or NEXTGEN.
  • Pathway to Bar Success Workshop Series – our Fall workshop series provides an in-depth overview of the admissions process updated and tailored to each class division’s bar preparations needs.
  • Maryland Carey Law Bar Preparation Course – our in-house pre-graduation bar preparation course (2 credits), offered in partnership with Barbri, is a perfect transition from law school to your summer/winter bar preparation no matter which bar you choose.
  • Maryland Carey Law Summer Bar Café – our post-graduation supplement keeps us connected to your bar exam preparation efforts.
  • Wellness Resources – your access to wellness resources is never far away.

LL.M students may be eligible to take a U.S. bar exam, including the Maryland bar, after completing Maryland Carey Law's LL.M. program, depending on the courses taken. Students are strongly encouraged to independently confirm their admission in the U.S. jurisdiction of their choice.

Finally, no decision to sit for a bar exam should be reached without consulting with Professor Crystal Edwards, Associate Dean, MSL and LLM programs.

 LL.M applicants for the Maryland bar exam:

The SBLE has the discretion to waive the standard educational requirements for applicants receiving their first legal degree from a non-US law school AND who also obtain an LLM from an ABA accredited law school (See MD Rule 19-201(b)(2) and Board Rule 7).

An applicant must certify that he/she has successfully completed a minimum of 26 credit hours from among the subjects tested on the exam (Board Rule 7).  In addition, the waiver request must be received at least 30 days prior to the filing deadline for the exam the LLM wishes to sit.

More information: