Alabama Bar Exam Information

2010 exam dates and location(s)

The February 2010 Alabama bar exam will take place on Monday, February 22, Tuesday, February 23, and Wednesday, February 24. The July 2010 Alabama bar exam will take place on Monday, July 26, Tuesday, July 27, and Wednesday, July 28. Exams are given at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa (located at the Convention Center).

MEE subjects (MBE subjects are in bold)

Alabama Civil Litigation (Civil Procedure and Remedies), Agency and Partnership, Commercial Paper, Conflict of Laws, Corporation, Decedents’ Estates, Family Law, Federal Civil Procedure, Sales, Secured Transactions, Trusts and Future Interests, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Constitutional Law, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts.

Structure

The Monday exam day (morning only) consists of the first part of the written exam – six Alabama essays (three hours total). The Tuesday exam day consists of the second part of the written exam – six MEE questions (30 minutes each) and two MPTs (90 minutes each). The Wednesday exam day consists of the MBE. The MBE is a 200 question multiple choice exam. 100 questions are asked in the morning over a three hour period, and 100 questions are asked in the afternoon over a three hour period. The MBE has 33 questions each for Contracts and Torts, and 31 questions each for Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, and Real Property. 190 of the 200 questions are graded, the other 10 are experimental. 200 questions over six hours averages out to 1.8 minutes per question.

Scoring

The written exam (essays and MPTs) is worth 50% of the total score, broken down as follows: the Alabama essays are worth 20%, the MEE is worth 20%, and the MPTs are worth 10%. The MBE is worth 50% of the total score. An examinee must score at least 128 total points to pass.

MPRE

An applicant for the Alabama bar exam must achieve a minimum score of 75 on the MPRE within 12 months prior to or 20 months after the bar exam for which the applicant sits.

Pass rate

Alabama’s pass rate for the July 2008 exam was 84% for first time takers, and 74% for all takers.

Other exam information

An information booklet on the Alabama essays (including released questions and model answers) is available at law schools courtesy of the Alabama State Bar. Also included in the booklet is information on the MBE, MEE, and MPT.

Examinees must bring a black pen and a small, personal stapler to the exam.

Bar examiner contact information

Application deadlines

Applicants must register with the Alabama State Bar in order to sit for the Alabama bar exam. Registration is open to applicants immediately upon starting law school.

Applications to sit for the February exam can be filed after September 1 and are due on October 1. Applications to sit for the July exam can be filed after January 1 and are due on February 1. There is no provision for late filing.

Application fees

The law student registration (LSR) fee is waived if filed within 60 days from when the candidate starts law school. The LSR fee thereafter is as follows: $50 if filed after 60 days but within 180 days from when the candidate starts law school; $100 if filed after 180 days but within 390 days from when the candidate starts law school; and $250 if filed after 390 days from when the candidate starts law school.

The exam application fee is $400 for an applicant who was a resident of Alabama at the time that the application was submitted and has neither applied nor been admitted to the bar of another state. All other applicants must submit an exam application fee of $600. Application fees must be paid via cashier’s check or money order made payable to “Alabama State Bar.”

All applicants must also pay a finger print fee of $25 via cashier’s check or money order made payable to “Alabama Bureau of Investigation.”

Forms

Applicants must complete a National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) Application form, and the answers on said form must be typed.

Proof of legal education, in the form of a dean’s certificate, must also be submitted prior to sitting for the exam.

Attachments

Each applicant must submit affidavits from three attorneys in good standing who have for five years been admitted in Alabama or in the highest court of the applicant’s state of residency, none of whom are related to the applicant by blood or marriage. Attorney affidavits must be sent directly to the Alabama State Bar.

The Alabama State Bar requires each applicant to submit fingerprints on a fingerprint card that may be requested from the admissions office.

Results

The Board releases results of the February exam by April 15, and the results of the July exam by September 15. All results are mailed to individual examinees. Examinees with failing scores receive a score report including the failing examinee’s MBE scaled score, scores received on each essay and each MPT, and the total combined score for all sections of the exam. Within 60 days of the release of exam results, failing examinees can review their exam at the Alabama State Bar headquarters. In addition, a failing examinee can retrieve copies of exam questions, his or her answers, and model answers.

*All state bar exam information is subject to change without notice; please verify this information with the bar examiner’s office.*