BAR APPLICATIONS
We urge you to familiarize yourself with the application requirements and deadlines of the state Bar exam you wish to take. For general information, visit www.abanet.org (American Bar Association) or www.ncbex.org (National Conference of Bar Examiners). For information on NY Bar exam requirements, visit www.nybarexam.org.
Bar applications normally include a Certificate of Attendance that must be completed by your law school(s). Generally, if you are graduating in May 2009 and planning to take the July bar exam, the Law School Certificate of Attendance will be due to the various state offices by June 2009.
Important: All requests for bar certification (i.e., requests for the Law School to complete your “Law School Certificate of Attendance”) must be submitted to the Office of Registration Services in a timely fashion (between April 1 and April 30). The bar certification request in the only indicator we will have that you intend to sit for a bar examination and need the School’s certification of your attendance and degree.
Massachusetts Bar Exam: One notable exception to the June certification date is Massachusetts, which requires that the school certification be submitted with all other applicant documentation in one complete package. If you are planning on taking the Massachusetts bar examination, please make certain to submit the school certification form to Registration Services as early as possible so that it can be completed upon your graduation and returned to you in time to meet the submission deadline.
Important Note for LL.M.s: Although some Law School Certificates of Attendance may state that the form “should only be completed for J.D. graduates of law schools in the United States,” it is required of all bar applicants, and thus must be completed by LL.M. students planning to sit for the bar exam.
Transcripts for Bar Applications: The Law School’s Office of Registration Services is authorized to forward an official copy of your Columbia University transcript to the various state bar organizations. We will obtain an official copy of your transcript from the University Registrar and will forward it to the appropriate office; you do not need to make a separate request.
Fingerprinting: Some states require applicants for admission to the bar to provide their fingerprints. Check your state’s bar requirements. You may be able to arrange for fingerprinting on campus by contacting Ricardo Morales in Columbia’s Department of Public Safety (212-854-8513).
THE NEW YORK STATE BAR EXAMINATION: NOTE NEW DEADLINES
Visit www.nybarexam.org for information on the New York State bar examination and to download application materials. We encourage you to obtain and carefully review the application materials as early as possible and make careful note of the new filing deadlines that were announced recently by the NY State Board of Law Examiners (BOLE). You may apply online or file a paper application.
Submit your “Law School Certificate of Attendance” to Registration Services by April 30 – this is the only indicator that we will have that you intend to take the NY bar exam in July 2009 and need the Law School to certify your eligibility to sit for the examination.
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Change in Application Filing Deadline. The NY State bar examination application filing periods have been changed. Applications for the July bar examination must be filed with the NYS BOLE between April 1 and April 30. Applications for the February examination must be filed between November 1 and November 30. The new filing dates should be easier for the candidates to comply with, as the deadlines are clear and will not change from year to year.
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Date of Receipt and Not Postmark Date Will Determine Timely Filing. The Board no longer accepts a postmark as the method to determine timely filing. Effective immediately, ALL applications and supporting documentation (i.e. – bar examination applications and re-applications, ADA test accommodations applications and re-applications, eligibility proofs, handwriting specimens, etc.) must be received in the Board’s office on or before the filing period deadline.
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Change in Deadline for Proof of Eligibility and Handwriting Specimen. Pursuant to revised Board Rule 6000.2(b) and (c), as explained in further detail at the following web link:
http://www.nybarexam.org/Rules/Rules.htm#6000.2, all eligibility proofs, transcripts and handwriting specimens must be
received in the Board’s office by the following deadlines:
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Examination
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Deadline for Proof of Eligibility
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February
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February 1
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July
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June 15
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These new deadlines will, of necessity, be strictly enforced. Candidates whose proofs are not received by the applicable deadline will not be permitted to sit for that bar examination.
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Applications for Test Accommodations. The Board recently revised the application, instructions, and documentation guidelines for candidates requesting test accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, copies of which are available for download from the Board’s website at
http://www.nybarexam.org/ADA/ADA.htm. As noted above, the Board no longer accepts a postmark date as the method for timely filing of documents; rather, applications for test accommodations must be received in the Board’s office no later than November 30
th for the February examination and April 30
th for the July examination. Also, the Board’s rule for appealing the denial of accommodations has been modified. Pursuant to Board Rule 6000.4(e), the appeal may not present any new diagnosis or disability that was not discussed in the candidate’s application, nor may any additional documentation that was not originally provided with the application be offered on the appeal. Appeals must be
received at the Board's office no later than 14 days from the date of the Board’s determination.
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For detailed information on the NYS bar examination application and requirements, MBE score transfer requests, and MPRE scores, visit
http://www.nybarexam.org
Law School Certificate of Attendance: The “Law School Certificate of Attendance Form” is the only indicator we will have that you need the Law School to certify your eligibility to take the bar exam, so please submit the form promptly, and by April 30 at the latest. You should make certain to partially complete the form (only the name of the law school, your name, and your SSN are required) and submit it to Registration Services as early as possible, and by not later than April 30. You do not need to complete your dates of attendance because we will forward your official transcript to the NYS BOLE once you have graduated from the Law School. If you spent your first year of law school at another institution, please attach a note to your Certificate and include the name of your other law school.
Important Note for LL.M.s: Although the New York State Bar Exam “Law School Certificate of Attendance” indicates that the form “does not apply to applicants who obtained their first degree in law outside the United States,” it is required of all applicants who wish to take the NYS bar examination, and thus must be completed by LL.M. students as well.
Transcripts: The Law School’s Office of Registration Services is authorized to forward an official copy of your Columbia University transcript to the NYS BOLE. We will obtain an official copy of your transcript from the University Registrar and will forward it to the appropriate office; you do not need to make a separate request.
If you spent your first year of law school at an institution other than Columbia, or if you spent a term or an academic year as a visitor at another US law school, the New York State Board of Bar Examiners requires that an official transcript from your other law school be submitted to them along with your Columbia University transcript. Therefore, please make certain that we have on file at least two (2) original official copies of the transcript from your other law school. We may have written to you already in regard to this matter, but please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. E-mail to: registrar@law.columbia.edu with the subject heading “Transcript Inquiry.”
Handwriting Sample: The Law School’s Office of Career Services is authorized to certify the Handwriting Sample, a part of your application which must be completed in the presence of a member of that Office. Please make arrangements directly with Career Services. The deadline for receipt of your handwriting sample by the NYS BOLE is June 15 for the July examination, and February 1 for the February examination.
CHARACTER AND FITNESS CERTIFICATION
Character and Fitness Certification forms are completed by Registration Services. Send your forms to Registration Services at the address listed above.
The New York Lawyer Assistance Trust has prepared a brochure regarding the character and fitness requirements for admission to the practice of law in New York State. Please click here for a copy of the brochure.
