The Bar Exam

"In order to obtain a license to practice law, almost all law school graduates must apply for bar admission through a state board of bar examiners. Most often this board is an agency of the highest state court in the jurisdiction, but occasionally the board is connected more closely to the state's bar association. The criteria for eligibility to take the bar examination or to otherwise qualify for bar admission are set by each state, not by the ABA or the Council for the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Licensing involves a demonstration of worthiness in two distinct areas. The first is competence. For initial licensure, competence is ordinarily established by a showing that the applicant holds an acceptable educational credential (with some exceptions, a J.D. degree) from a law school that meets educational standards, and by achieving a passing score on the bar examination.

The most common testing configuration consists of a two-day bar examination, one day of which is devoted to the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), a standardized 200-item test covering six areas (Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts). The second day of testing is typically comprised of locally crafted essays from a broader range of subject matters; however, in a growing number of states, two nationally developed tests, the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), may be used to round out the test.

In addition, almost all jurisdictions require that the applicant present an acceptable score on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), which is separately administered three times each year.

The second area of inquiry by bar examiners involves the character and fitness of applicants for a law license. In this regard, bar examiners seek background information concerning each applicant that is relevant to the appropriateness of granting a professional credential. Because law is a public profession, and because the degree of harm a lawyer, once licensed, can inflict is substantial, decisions about who should be admitted to practice law are made carefully by bar examining boards.

Boards of bar examiners in most jurisdictions expect to hear from prospective candidates during the final year of law school. Bar examinations are administered at the end of February and July, with considerably more applicants taking the summer test because it falls after graduation from law school.

Some boards offer or require law student registration at an earlier point in law school. This preliminary processing, where available, permits the board to review character and fitness issues in advance.

As state-specific information is so important (and so variable) in the lawyer-licensing process, law students should contact the board of bar examiners in the jurisdiction(s) in which they are most likely to practice law." --ABA

For more information, visit the American Bar Association at www.abanet.org.

Bar Exam Review Courses:

Barbri Bar Exam Review- "For more than 40 years, BAR/BRI has provided the most experienced, personalized, and up-to-date bar review course. BAR/BRI combines comprehensive yet concise outlines, dynamic law school professors, and the most complete Multistate and Essay Testing programs."

Kaplan PMBR Bar Review- "For 30 years, PMBR has been preparing students for the Multistate Bar Exam ("MBE"), a significant portion of the bar that requires strategic training and a highly nuanced approach. We will help you master the MBE format and give you the competitive edge you need on exam day."

The Patent Bar Exam

In addition to the State Bar Exam, an additional exam is required to write/prosecute patents before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In order to take the exam, a candidate must demonstrate that he or she has a technical background sufficient to practice before the USPTO. This may be accomplished by providing evidence of a hard science/engineering degree or through relevant experience and coursework. For the specific requirements for degrees, coursework, and experience, please refer to the USPTO Office of Enrollment and Discipline's (OED) most recent General Requirements Bulletin located at the OED website.

The Patent Bar Exam is proctored throughout the year and may be taken before or after law school. The exam is computer based and focuses on the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP). Individuals who take and pass the Patent Bar prior to law school become patent agents. They may write and prosecute patents, but they may not litigate before the courts. As soon as a patent agent passes the State Bar Exam or if he or she takes the Patent Bar after passing the State Bar, the agent may become a patent prosecution attorney. Patent prosecution attorneys may both prosecute and litigate patent cases.

Patent Bar Exam Review Courses:

Barbri Patent Bar Review- "Over the last 35 years, BAR/BRI Bar Review has helped more than 800,000 students prepare for and pass their bar exams. BAR/BRI Patent Bar Review builds on that tradition of excellence to offer unparalleled preparation for the Patent Bar Exam."

Pass The Patent Bar with Jim Longacre- "Created and led by Jim Longacre, the premier teacher in Patent Bar Review. Not just a course, but a program focused on passing the exam under the new electronic format. The most Up-To-Date Study Guide with the recent changes to the Eighth Edition, Revision 4 of the MPEP."

PATBAR- "Mr. David Meeks has devised a patent bar review course which will help you quickly, easily, and efficiently pass the Patent Bar exam. The program is broken into 63 study “modules” which only take a couple of hours each, and are designed to be absorbed one-per-day."

PLI Patent Bar Review- "The Nation's #1 Patent Bar Review is geared to one thing and one thing only - ensuring you pass the PTO Exam! Chaired by the leading patent bar review authority and instructor-John White, PLI's Patent Bar Review offers you the most comprehensive patent bar review course available. All course materials are 100% Exam-Focused, and updated to all current USPTO rules."

PRG Patent Bar Review- "Patent Resources Group (PRG) is widely acknowledged as the industry leader in preparing students to take the USPTO patent bar registration examination."