Although there is no general bar examination, 48 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands involve the 6-hour Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) as part of the largely bar examination; the MBE is not required in Louisiana or Washington.
The MBE envelops a broad range of issues, and sometimes a locally prepared State bar examination is given in addition to it. The 3-hour Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) is used as part of the bar exam in several States. States differ in their use of MBE and MEE scores.
Many States also involve Multistate Performance Testing (MPT) to test the real skills of beginning lawyers.
Requirements differ by State, although the test regularly is taken at the same time as the bar exam and is a one-time requirement.
The required college and law school education usually takes 7 years of permanent study after high school—4 years of scholar study, followed by 3 years of law school. Law school candidates must have a bachelor’s degree to be eligible for admission. To meet the requires of students who can be there only part time, a number of law schools have night or part-time divisions, which usually require 4 years of study; about 1 in 10 graduates from ABA-approved schools attended part time.
Though there is no recommended “prelaw” main, potential lawyers should expand proficiency in writing and speaking, reading, researching, analyzing, and thinking logically—skills needed to succeed both in law school and in the profession. In spite of major, a multidisciplinary background is recommended.
Courses in English, foreign languages, public speaking, government, philosophy, history, economics, mathematics, and computer science, among others, are useful. Students interested in a particular aspect of law may find related courses helpful. For example, prospective patent lawyers need a strong background in engineering or science, and future tax lawyers must have extensive knowledge of accounting.
