Information about the California Bar

Bar Registration

If you are planning to sit for the California Bar Examination when you graduate, you must register with the California Bar by the time you graduate. University of California, Irvine School of Law students are not eligible to register until the school receives provisional ABA approval. We are hopeful approval will be granted in spring 2011.

Go to the California Bar Examiner's web site (http://calbar.xap.com/) to access the First Year Registration Application.

There is a fee for registration. At this time, there is no late fee for filing after the first 90 days of law school enrollment.

Once you have registered, please keep your registration number handy, since you will have to use it on all subsequent applications and correspondence with the California Bar.

PLEASE NOTE: You will NOT be required to take the "Baby Bar" exam.

California Bar Exam

In addition to registering with the California Bar as a first-year law student, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the requirements of the Bar.

There are a number of basic requirements you must meet before you can be considered eligible to practice law in California:

1. You must register as a first-year law student.

2. You must complete the Moral Character form and pass review.

3. You must pass the California Bar Examination.

4. You must pass the MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam).

5. You must successfully complete the three years of law school and be certified by the school.

6. You must be sworn in.

The Moral Character Form requires you to provide extensive information, dating back to your high school years, and includes information about past residences and past employment. Applicants also have to submit fingerprints, a DMV clearance, positive references from confidential questionnaires sent to friends and employers identified by you, and a certificate of good standing, which our Registrar will provide.

View the instructions and Moral Character form and you will notice that this is an online application that you cannot print out, which makes the process a bit daunting. Don’t worry about it - we will gladly help you with it.

Generally, this process is pretty straightforward, but you should know that it can take from 8 to 10 months in some cases, so it is a good idea to submit the application early on in your 3L year at the law school.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have any question about something in your past that you may have to disclose on the Moral Character form, please come by to see Dean Ortiz.

The California Bar Exam Application Form is also available online, and you will need to complete it as a 3L in order to register to sit for the Bar Examination.

Applications for the July Bar Exam are available on March 1 of each year and are due around April 1. Apply online as early as possible so that you stand a chance of getting your first choice of exam site.

When the California Bar determines your eligibility to sit for the Bar Exam, they will send (via USPS) a Law School Certificate to the Registrar’s Office in order to verify that you have completed your legal education and have been awarded a Juris Doctor. Once you complete your three years of law school and all your grades are in, we will certify you for the Bar Exam.

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) is required by all states that require a Bar Examination. This standardized exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions. The exam is 2 hours and 5 minutes long and is administered three times a year, in March, August, and November. You may take this exam at any of these times, after successfully completing your first year of law school.

The Student Services Office will be happy to provide you with more detailed information about the MPRE at any time, but the best source of information is the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Lecture Hall