General Requirements for Admission
An applicant for admission to the North Dakota Bar must be 18 years of age and have received a Juris Doctor or equivalent degree from a law school approved, or provisionally approved, for accreditation by the American Bar Association.
Law Student Registration
Registration of law students is required. Law student registration begins the character and fitness investigation. A law student registration application must be filed by October 1 of the student's second year of law school or within 14 months after the student's first day of the first year of law school. Applications filed after these deadlines shall be permitted upon payment of a late law student registration filing fee, but only up until the last established filing deadline prior to the opening day of the examination for which application is made. Fees include the late law student registration filing fee, if applicable, and a background investigative fee.
The law student registration application is appropriate only up until January 1 of the third year of law school. If it is later than this date, you must refer to Bar Exam Application below.
The law student registration application information and forms are available online and include the following: Instructions/Fees/Checklist, Standard NCBE Electronic Application, a State Board of Law Examiners' release form, and the Admission to Practice Rules, which are linked below.
Law Student Registration Application Instructions/Fees/Checklist Standard NCBE Electronic Application State Board of Law Examiners' Release Form N.D. Admission to Practice Rules Application Tips
Bar Exam Application
North Dakota administers the Uniform Bar Examination. For more information about the UBE and portability of scores, please visit: http://www.ncbex.org/multistate-tests/UBE/.
Administration of the February exam is dependent on ten or more applicants. Applications for the February exam must be postmarked by December 1 prior to the February exam for which application is made. Applications postmarked later than December 1, but by January 1 prior to the February exam for which application is made, shall be permitted upon payment of a late filing fee. Fees paid, excluding the investigative fee, will be refunded only in the event of less than ten applicants. The investigative fee is not refundable.
Applications to write the July exam must be postmarked by March 15 prior to the July exam for which application is made, and applications postmarked later than March 15, but by June 1 prior to the July exam for which application is made, shall be permitted upon payment of a late filing fee. Fees paid for the July exam are not refundable.
Fees for future February exams, if administered, and for the July exam will include the late law student registration filing fee, if applicable; the $150 exam fee; a late exam filing fee, if applicable; and a background investigative fee. The bar exam application information and forms are available online and include the following: Instructions/Fees/Checklist, Standard NCBE Electronic Application or Supplemental Application, Exam Petition, State Board of Law Examiners' release form, General Exam Information, and the Admission to Practice Rules, which are linked below.
February Bar Examination Application Instructions/Fees/Checklist July Bar Examination Application Instructions/Fees/Checklist Supplemental Bar Examination Application for Third Year Law Students-Instructions/Fees/Checklist Supplemental Bar Examination Application for Retakes-Instructions/Fees/Checklist Standard NCBE Electronic Application Exam Petition State Board of Law Examiners' Release Form General Exam Information Admission to Practice Rules MBE Score Transfer Requests UBE Score Transfer Requests Test Accommodation forms
Laptop Use
Laptop Use Information Registration Checklist for Laptop Users
Exam Dates and Location
The February 2012 exam will be in Bismarck on February 28-29, 2012. The July 2012 exam will be in Bismarck on July 24-25, 2012.
Reciprocity Based on Practice
Individuals may be eligible to apply for admission based on five years' membership in the bar of another jurisdiction and engagement in an activity demonstrating competency in the practice of law for four of the last five years. The application information and forms are available online and include the following: Instructions/Fees/Checklist, Standard NCBE Electronic Application, Motion Petition, State Board of Law Examiners' Release Form, and the Admission to Practice Rules, which are linked below.
Application based on practice - Instructions/Fees/Checklist Standard NCBE Electronic Application Motion Petition State Board of Law Examiners' Release Form Admission to Practice Rules
Reciprocity Based on Test Scores
Individuals may be eligible to apply for admission based on:
MBE scaled score of 150 or above within the last two years of the date of the examination in the jurisdiction of admission OR UBE scaled score of 260 or above within the last two years of the date of the examination in the jurisdiction of admission AND admission in the jurisdiction of examination.
The application information and forms are available online and include the following: Instructions/Fees/Checklist, Standard NCBE Electronic Application, Motion Petition, State Board of Law Examiners' Release Form, and the Admission to Practice Rules, which are linked below.
Application based on test score - Instructions Standard NCBE Electronic Application State Board of Law Examiners' Release Form Admission to Practice Rules MBE Score Transfer Requests UBE Score Transfer Requests
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to frequently asked questions are located at: Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Information:
The contact information for the State Board of Law Examiners' office is:
Judicial Wing, First Floor
600 E. Boulevard Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58505-0530
701-328-4201
Fax 701-328-4480
BarExaminers@ndcourts.gov
Revised April 2012