Student Resources

Bar Admission

For additional information about the Illinois bar exam, please visit the Illinois Board of Admissions website at www.ilbaradmissions.org. Forms for other jurisdictions are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners web site, www.ncbex.org.

To register for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), go to www.ncbex.org.

Every state has it owns rules that govern admissions to the bar. Students are advised to contact the state(s) in which they plan to practice for the information and forms that must be filed to take the Bar exam.

All states require the applicant to be certified by the College of Law to attest that they are in good academic standing and received their Juris Doctor. The Assistant Dean for Student Affairs automatically certifies all DePaul graduates for the Illinois bar exam, so students do not have to turn in that form. For other states, students should prepare a cover letter with their contact information and include the necessary forms. They should give the materials to the Office of Student Affairs, 341 Lewis.

Students are advised to begin this process as early in their final semester of law school as possible to ensure that any deadlines are met.

Students should be aware that the committees on Character and Fitness in all states inquire about a student’s background both before and during law school. Students should ensure that they fully disclosed any and all adverse information when they applied to the College of Law.

Illinois Bar Exam

In Illinois, first-year law students have the opportunity to pre-register as potential applicants, at a substantial cost savings, if the student applies before March 1 of the first-year. The Law Student Registration Forms are on www.ilbaradmissions.org.

Many states now require students to file a sworn affidavit that he or she is not now and has never been in arrears or default in the repayment of any loans, including educational loans. Non-disclosure of any information may be considered a separate ground for rejection when the student applies for admission to the Bar.

Regardless of whether an applicant for admission to the Illinois Bar files during the first year, all students must submit an Application for Admission to the Bar in the year they plan to graduate. In Illinois, September 1 is the deadline for the following February bar examination and February 1 for the following July bar examination. For other states, see www.ncbex.org.

Multi-State Professional Responsibility Examination

Most states also require applicants to take the Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) in additional to the regular bar exam. The MPRE is offered in August, November and March. Students may not take the MPRE until they complete 2/3 of the credits required to earn the Juris Doctor. College of Law students must complete 58 credit hours before they qualify. The MPRE must be taken in the same academic year in which the student graduates. Earlier scores will not be accepted. In most cases, the August exam, before a May graduation, is the earliest time applicants can take the MPRE. Students may apply on the National Conference of Bar Examiners web site, www.ncbex.org.