District of Columbia
Overview
- Admitting Entity (Supreme Court, Mandatory Bar, etc.)
- Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
- Entity Managing Admissions Process
Committee on Admissions
- [State] Application Materials
- Are law students required to register with jurisdiction while in law school?
- No
- If UBE, is there a Jurisdiction Component?
- No
- Multistate Bar Exam?
- Yes
- Multistate Essay Exam?
- Yes
- Is exam jurisdiction-drafted?
- No
- Multistate Performance Test?
- Yes
- Does the jurisdiction provide information on day of testing procedures?
Limited information is available.
- What are the restroom use rules of the admitting entity?
Staff said bathroom access varies by location.
General
- Phone Number
- 202-879-2710
- Email Address
- Diploma Privilege
No
- Prelegal education requirements
No
- Legal education requirements
Must be a JD or LLB graduates of ABA-approved law school or a graduates of non-ABA-approved out-of-state law school that completed at least 26 semester hours of study in subjects tested on the bar exam in a law school that at the time of such study was ABA-approved are also eligible. Foreign law school graduates with 5 years of good standing in another US state or territory or that completed at least 26 semester hours of study in a law school that at the time of such study was ABA-approved are also eligible.
- Registration requirements, if applicable.
N/A
- Registration fee, if applicable.
- N/A
- Limit on attempts?
- 4
- Fee(s)
$405 + additional NCBE Investigation fee + laptop fee
- Are laptops allowed/required?
- Required for essay responses. Applicants who wish to handwrite must submit a request.
- Laptop fee?
- $150
- Is courtesy seating allowed?
- Generally no.
- Transfer fee?
- $418 (plus NCBE report fee)
- Day-of Testing Procedures
An applicant testing at a Pearson VUE testing center must present a government-issued primary ID and a secondary ID. The primary ID must include a first and last name, recent recognizable photo, and signature. The secondary ID must include at least a first and last name and signature or first and last name and recent recognizable photo. The first and last name used to register must match exactly both IDs presented on test day. Any name corrections must be submitted through the NCBE Account Dashboard at least 48 hours before the first day of the test administration. Before entering the test room, Pearson VUE will collect a digital photograph and digital signature to verify identity. The applicant must consent to the NCBE Candidate Rules Agreement, which in part requires that if the applicant uses the restroom during testing, they must use “the restroom that is closest to the testing room” and pat themselves down (arms, legs, waistline) when leaving and re-entering the testing room. Applicants must also pat themselves down before entering the test room for the first time.
- What security measures can applicants expect? Metal detectors? Bag search?
No specific information is publicly posted. Staff said metal detectors are used at some locations. Applicants carry plastic bags so the bag search is fairly limited to ensuring the integrity of the exam is preserved.
Eligibility
- Admission by Exam
- Yes
- Admission by Transfer
- Yes
- Admission by Motion
- Yes
- UBE Exam?
- Yes. The District of Columbia intends to first administer the NextGen bar exam in February 2028.
- Minimum passing score?
- 266
- Can exam score be transferred?
- Yes, if (a) the combined UBE scaled score (1) is not less than 266, (2) was attained within the prior 5 years, (3) was attained by taking the UBE no more than 4 times, and (b) there is an MPRE with the required score.
- Can only UBE scores be transferred?
- Yes
- Is there a time limit for accepting transferred scores?
- 5 years
- Is MPRE required?
- Yes
- Minimum passing score
- 75
- Is there a time period in which the MPRE score must be earned?
- No
- MPRE fee
- Fee established by NCBE
Requirements
- Application Name and Gender Identification
The MPRE application requires the first and last name to match exactly as listed on valid government-issued photo identification. If the applicant indicates they have been known by a different name, they must list the first name and last name or surname and does not have the option to explain the reason for the name change. The demographic information section asks, “[w]which of the following questions best represents your gender identity?” and provides the following options: “man,” “woman,” “non-binary,” “gender not listed here (please specify),” and “I prefer not to have my response used for research purposes.”
- What identifying documents do applicants need on test days and what name is required to be on that ID (as related to the name on the application for admission)?
Applicants must present a valid government-issued ID that contains a recent, recognizable photo, first and last name, and date of birth.
- Is there assigned seating? If so, how do applicants identify their seat (i.e. name, application number, etc.) If it is by name, which name will be listed?
Seat Tickets listing applicant name function as Exam ID/ Applicant ID/ Seat Numbers. Seating is randomized.