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Legal Community
Board of Bar Examiners
Frequently Asked Questions
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Bar Exam
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 How do I get an application for the exam? |
The bar exam application is now available online.
The application deadline for the July exam is May 1 and the deadline for the February exam is December 1.
| | When are the exam applications due? |
The deadline for all requests, including special accommodation requests, to sit for the February exam is December 1. The deadline for all requests to sit for the July bar exam is May 1.
Applications must be postmarked by the due date, pursuant to Section 9(a)(2) of the Rules of Admission.
A petition filed after the due date must be accompanied by a letter demonstrating extraordinary circumstances justifying failure to meet the filing deadline. Acceptance of the applicant is at the discretion of the Board. See Section 9(c)
| | Can I take the exam on my laptop? |
Yes. Since February 2005 exam there has been an option to take the essay portion on your personal laptop for an additional $50 fee to the Vermont Board of Bar Examiners plus the approximately $50 software fee to ExamSoft.
Requests must be received by December 1 for the February exam and May 1 for the July exam.
| | Are there study materials or bar review courses? |
STUDY MATERIALS
Information and study guides for the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), Multistate Performance Test (MPT) and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) are available at the National Conference of Bar Examiners website
BAR REVIEW COURSES
The Vermont Board of Bar Examiners does not certify, sponsor or have any relationship with any bar review or legal skills course. However, we are advised that the following bar review courses may be offered, and request that you direct any inquiries directly to them. The Board makes no representations concerning the completeness of this list, or the quality or accuracy of any course.
Micro Mash Bar (formerly SMH)
6402 South Troy Circle
Englewood, CO 80111-6424
800-BAR EXAM
Kaplan PMBR (Preliminary Multistate Bar Review)
700 S. Flower St.
Suite 2900
Los Angeles, CA 90017
800-523-0777
BAR/BRI
31 St. James Ave., Ste. 802
Boston, MA 02116
800-866-7277
Bar Exam Technique Course by Stavisky
327 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
617-482-3777
Reed Multistate Bar Review, Inc.
414 N. Orleans, Suite 602
Chicago, IL 60610
800-852-3926
Rigos Bar Review Course
206-636-0716
Sol Software
P.O. Box 409
Washougal, WA 98671
360-335-0142
| | When and where is the bar examination held? |
The bar examination is held on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July in Montpelier. Further details will be provided in registration material which applicants will receive on July 1 for the July exam and February 1 for the February exam.
| | What does the Vermont bar examination consist of? |
The Vermont bar examination, which is offered twice a year, consists of two parts:
(1) An essay examination, consisting of four essay questions prepared by the Board of Bar Examiners plus two Multistate Performance Test (MPT) questions prepared by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). The MPT questions are each allotted 1½ hours, and the four essay questions must be completed in a four-hour time period. Potential testing subjects are listed in Section 10(a) of the Rules.
(2) The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) prepared by the NCBE. The MBE is an objective six-hour examination containing 200 questions. The examination is divided into two periods of three hours each, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with 100 questions in each period. The examination includes questions in the following areas: Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts.
In addition, applicants must take and pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), also prepared by the NCBE, before they can be admitted. See § 6(a) of the Rules of Admission for the required score.
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Admissions without Exam
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| How do I obtain an application for admission without examination? |
Because it can take up to 3 months to complete the character investigation, we strongly recommend that you begin the application process before or at the same time as commencing your clerkship.
| | How does an attorney from another state (except N.H. and Maine) become admitted to the Vermont Bar? |
If an attorney has been actively practicing law for five of the preceding ten years in the U.S. they can be admitted without examination. See Section 7(a) of the Rules of Admission.
Applicants will need to complete a three-month clerkship before admission.
Information on how to order the application packet is addressed in a separate FAQ.
| | What are the details of your agreement with New Hampshire and Maine regarding admission? |
Lawyers who are active members of the N.H. or Maine state Bar and have been actively engaged in the practice of law in N.H. or Maine for a minimum of three years immediately preceding their application may be admitted without the clerkship requirement if they have attended at least 15 hours of specially accredited continuing legal education on Vermont practice and procedure. See Section 7(e) of the Rules of Admission for more details.
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Clerkship
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| Is there a clerkship requirement for individuals applying for admission? |
Yes. Applicants for admission, whether by examination, or on motion without examination, must serve a three-month clerkship under the supervision of a Vermont attorney.
There are two exceptions to the clerkship requirement:
(1) Applicants for admission by examination who have completed a four-year law office study are not required to complete any additional law office study.
The form for registering the commencement of your clerkship must be filed within 30 days of starting the clerkship along with the $25 fee. You will see that there are two options for completing the clerkship. One is for a minimum of 25 hours during a 7-day period and the other is for a minimum of 30 hours during a 14-day period. Twelve weeks are required under the first option and 24 weeks are required under the second.
We recommend that the application process for those seeking admission without examination be started before or at the same time the clerkship is commenced, as it takes at least three months for the character investigation to be completed.
There is no requirement that the clerkship be completed before taking the bar exam.
| | What is the purpose of the three-month clerkship? |
The clerkship is an educational requirement designed in part to ensure that newly-admitted attorneys are familiar with Vermont law, particularly practice and procedures. The applicant should develop, with the supervising attorney, a systematic course of study for preparation in the general practice of law in Vermont. The supervising attorney should provide the greatest breadth of experience during the clerkship, including enlisting the assistance of other attorneys as appropriate.
The clerkship also serves a mentorship purpose: after completing a clerkship, the newly-admitted attorney will have developed a professional relationship with an experienced Vermont attorney with whom he or she may be able to consult during the early stages of professional practice.
| | When do I fulfill the clerkship requirement? |
The clerkship may be done after the first year of law school and within two years of examination. It may be done in stages, for example, during two summer recesses from law school or as a student internship. It does not have to be completed before applying to take the bar exam.
The Rules of Admission require that the clerkship be completed within two years of passing all sections of the bar exam or the Board may require re-examination.
Applicants for admission without examination under Section 7(a) must complete the clerkship within three years of filing the petition for admission.
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Multistate Bar Exam
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| What is a transferrable MBE score and how long may a passing grade on the essay or MBE part of the bar exam be retained? |
An MBE score of 135 or better from another jurisdiction may be transferred to Vermont to satisfy the requirements of Section 6(a) of our Rules of Admission.
Beginning with the February 2007 administration of the bar examination, a passing grade on the essay or MBE part of the bar examination may be retained for a period of four consecutive administrations. For example, a passing grade from the 2/08 exam was able to be retained for the 7/08, 2/09, and 7/09 exams only.
| | What can you tell me about the Multistate Bar Examination? |
The MBE consists of 200 multiple choice questions prepared by the National Conference of Bar Examiners. This exam is given in two three-hour sessions, from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm and from 1:30-4:30 pm on the last Wednesday of February and July.
The questions consist of the following:
34 in Contracts
34 in Torts
33 in Constitutional Law
33 in Criminal Law
33 in Evidence
33 in Real Property
| | What is the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) passing score, and how is it determined? |
A 135 scaled score is the MBE passing score in Vermont. It was established by the Vermont Supreme Court in 1982 after extensive study, including the recommendations of a special study committee appointed by the Supreme Court to review bar admissions procedures and policy. The Supreme Court considered, among other information, the historical Vermont and national distributions of MBE scores; the Vermont equivalent passing MBE score during years when scoring methods different than the present method were in use; the practices of other states, including the California Assessment Center Study; and the preparation, format and content of the MBE itself. The Supreme Court believes that at the present time a 135 scaled score meets the requirements of its Rules of Admission for the demonstration of minimal legal competence on this examination.
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4 Year Law Office Study
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| Can you tell me about your four-year law office study program? Do I have to be a graduate of an ABA-approved law school? |
Most applicants are graduates of ABA-approved law schools, but there are several other ways in which an applicant for admission by examination can fulfill Vermont’s educational requirements to be eligible for admission by examination.
Vermont has a “law office study” program to satisfy educational requirements in lieu of graduation from an approved law school. It requires not less than four years of study. That study is done in the law office and under the supervision of a Vermont attorney who has been admitted for at least three years at the time study commences.
It is the responsibility of the student to locate a sponsoring attorney under whom the study will take place. There is a recommended course of study list and a listing of suggested clinical experiences on this website.
With the approval of the Supreme Court and subject to the discretion of the Board, a four-year program can also be completed by:
(1) Attendance at an approved law school and not less than two years of law office study in Vermont, or
(2) Graduation or attendance at an unapproved law school and not less than two years of law office study in Vermont, or
(3) Law office study in another state that has an established program of law office study leading to admission and not less than two years of law office study in Vermont, or
(4) Admission in a foreign nation that is a common law jurisdiction and not less than two years of law office study in Vermont.
In addition, if you are admitted in another jurisdiction at the time of application in Vermont, the approved law school requirement may not apply.
| | Can students who attended law school receive credit toward the four-year law office study program requirements? |
In its discretion, the Board of Bar Examiners may give up to two years of credit toward the law office study program upon successful completion of one year of law school. You will need to request credit of the Board of Bar Examiners and include an official transcript and course descriptions from the time in which you took the courses.
| | Does the four-year clerkship really replace a law school education? |
The Vermont rules of admission recognize that despite being qualified to do so, not everyone has the ability to attend law school, either on a full-time or a part-time basis. The four-year program affords those individuals an opportunity to study for the law with experienced Vermont attorneys who closely supervise their studies so as to ensure an in-depth exposure to a variety of legal subjects.
A four-year clerkship places a significant responsibility upon the clerk to engage in, and the sponsoring attorney to provide, a thorough and systematic study equivalent to a formal law school education.
Four-year law clerks should realize that not every law office engages in the variety of substantive and procedural law established in Section 10(a) of the Rules as the base of legal knowledge necessary to demonstrate minimum legal competence. It may be necessary to undertake independent studies beyond the duties ordinarily assigned by the supervising attorney.
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Admissions Process
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| When is the next admission of attorneys ceremony? |
The Supreme Court sets the date of admission ceremonies, which are usually held four times a year in: March; May or June; September; and November or December.
The next admission ceremony is scheduled for March 31, 2010. All documents necessary for Character and Fitness review must be received by March 1 in order for you to be determined eligible for the March ceremony.
| | How long does the admission process take? |
It can be anywhere from two to four months once you have completed all of the requirements for admission: passing all portions of the bar exam or approval by the Board of Bar Examiners for motion candidates, including the completion of the clerkship requirement. The amount of time will primarily depend upon when you completed the online application. The character investigation service takes three months to complete. If there are any references or organizations which did not respond to the NCBE, then the bar admissions office must follow up.
The actual process is as follows: once the bar admission office has been notified of the completion of those admission requirements, a review of the results of the character investigation service is performed. Once all of the necessary documents have been received, your file is sent to the Character and Fitness Committee for review. You will be notified of the Committee's decision by mail.
The Supreme Court holds 4 admission ceremonies a year. Every attempt is made to admit as many people who have completed all of the requirements for admission in time for these ceremonies.
You can expedite the process by ensuring that your contact information, as well as those of your references, are current and by filing your termination of clerkship form immediately after you have completed the required 12 weeks.
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Certificate of Good Standing
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| Am I currently in good standing? |
An active attorney is considered in good standing if admitted in Vermont and current on licensing requirements and fees, as well as mandatory continuing legal education requirements. An inactive attorney is considered in good standing if admitted in Vermont and current on licensing requirements and fees.
An attorney is NOT considered in good standing if suspended for any reason, retired or disbarred in Vermont.
| | How do I obtain a Certificate of Good Standing for my Vermont license? |
Please send your request for a Certificate of Good Standing to Attorney Licensing, 2418 Airport Road, Suite 2, Barre, VT 05641, along with the fee of $3.00. Please allow two weeks for processing. Your certificate will be mailed to the address you provide; there is no need to provide a return envelope. No phone or fax requests, please.
If you also need your disciplinary history, please mail a separate request for a Grievance History Report to the Vermont Supreme Court, Professional Responsibility Program, 109 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05609-0703 Attn: Deb Laferriere
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Change of Address
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| How do I change my address? | |
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General Questions
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| How do I get to your office? |
We are located in Suite 2 on 2418 Airport Road, Barre. Take Exit 7 off of I-89. At the third stoplight near Central Vermont Hospital, take a right and go one mile. The cream- colored building is on the left across from the airport runway and has a sign which reads Board of Bar Examiners and Vermont Environmental Court.
| | How does a graduate from an unaccredited or foreign law school become admitted in Vermont? |
The education must be evaluated by the Board of Bar Examiners to determine whether it is equivalent to that of an approved law school or whether additional law office study must be completed before being eligible to take the bar exam. See sections 6(h) and (j) of the Rules of Admission
Graduates of a non-accredited U.S. law school must establish that the school is in the process of seeking accreditation by the American Bar Association or approval by the American Association of Law Schools. A form is available to guide you through the process.
Foreign educated applicants must establish that they have been admitted to the bar of a court in another nation which is a common law jurisdiction. A form is available to guide you through the process.
| | What are the general requirements for admission to the Bar of the Vermont Supreme Court? |
An applicant for admission must have completed certain educational requirements, demonstrate professional competence by passing a bar examination or through experience in the active practice of law for a specified period of time in another jurisdiction, be of good moral character and fitness, be at least eighteen years of age, and be a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully present in the United States.
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