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TEXAS BOARD of LAW EXAMINERS

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February 2024 Texas Bar Exam Pass List


The Board of Law Examiners has released a list of all examinees who passed the February 2024 Texas Bar Examination. The Board delivered individual exam result letters to each person who took the February 2024 Texas Bar Examination, unless an examinee’s scores were being held for other reasons.

We have posted the pass list here: https://ble.texas.gov/pass-list

The pass list will also be posted here: https://www.txcourts.gov/supreme/, https://texasbar.com/passlist

Statistical reports will be posted next week.

The State Bar of Texas will hold a New Lawyers Induction Ceremony for the eligible February 2024 examinees (and other eligible participants) on May 6, 2024 at Bass Concert Hall in Austin.

Any person who is authorized to administer oaths—including a judge, retired judge, clerk, or notary—may swear in an eligible examinee, either before or after they receive their license in the mail. A person authorized to administer the oath may administer it to an eligible examinee remotely, such as by videoconferencing or teleconferencing, and may attest to the oath electronically by sending the eligible examinee an electronic or scanned image of their signature on the oath form. The person administering the oath must also comply with any other applicable requirements; for example, a notary must comply with the requirements for online notarization. See Tex. Gov’t Code §406.101 et seq.


February 2024 Texas Bar Exam Results


We plan to release results of the February 2024 Texas Bar Exam between April 15 - April 17. (We will not release them before Monday, April 15.) Justice Brett Busby, our Supreme Court liaison, may provide updates on social media (@BrettBusby) in the days leading up to release.

We will email a secure link to you at the email address associated with your ATLAS account. 

After results are released, we will list successful examinees on the Board’s website by name and by examinee number.


February 2024 Bar Exam Parking Update


Austin Convention Center has informed us that they are now only able to accept credit card payments for parking at both the 2nd Street or 5th Street parking garages.

Additional parking information can be found here: https://ble.texas.gov/examsites-feb


Our office will be closed February 26 - March 1, 2024


Our office will be closed February 26 - March 1, 2024. Staff will be administering the bar exam. The office will re-open at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 4, 2024.

July 2023 Questions and Selected Answers Now Available


The July 2023 questions and selected answers are now available on our Questions and Selected Answers page. 

July 2023 Texas Bar Exam Statistics Now Available


The July 2023 bar exam statistics can be found here.

July 2023 Texas Bar Exam Pass List


The Board of Law Examiners has released a list of all examinees who passed the July 2023 Texas Bar Examination. The Board delivered individual exam result letters to each person who took the July 2023 Texas Bar Examination, unless an examinee’s scores were being held for other reasons.

We have posted the pass list here: https://ble.texas.gov/pass-list

The pass list will also be posted here: https://www.txcourts.gov/supreme/, https://texasbar.com/passlist

Statistical reports will be posted next week.

The State Bar of Texas will hold a New Lawyers Induction Ceremony for the eligible July 2023 examinees on October 30, 2023 at Bass Concert Hall in Austin.

Any person who is authorized to administer oaths—including a judge, retired judge, clerk, or notary—may swear in an eligible examinee, either before or after they receive their license in the mail. A person authorized to administer the oath may administer it to an eligible examinee remotely, such as by videoconferencing or teleconferencing, and may attest to the oath electronically by sending the eligible examinee an electronic or scanned image of their signature on the oath form. The person administering the oath must also comply with any other applicable requirements; for example, a notary must comply with the requirements for online notarization. See Tex. Gov’t Code §406.101 et seq.


Fall Texas 1Ls: Declarations are Due October 1


If you started at a Texas law school this semester, then Sunday, October 1, 2023 is the timely deadline for you to submit a  Declaration of Intention to Study Law. Declarations submitted after 11:59 pm on Sunday, October 1, 2023 will incur a late fee of $150. For more information, see our Declaration of Intention to Study Law page and our FAQ's.

Summer Texas 1Ls: Declarations are Due September 15, 2023


If you started at a Texas law school this summer, then Friday, September 15, 2023 is the timely deadline for you to submit a Declaration of Intention to Study Law. Declarations submitted after 11:59 pm on Friday, September 15, 2023 will incur a late fee of $150. For more information, see our Declaration of Intention to Study Law page and our FAQ's.

February 2023 Questions and Selected Answers Now Available


The February 2023 questions and selected answers are now available on our Questions and Selected Answers page. 

February 2023 Texas Bar Exam Statistics Now Available


The February 2023 bar exam statistics can be found here.

February 2023 Texas Bar Exam Pass List


The Board of Law Examiners has released a list of all examinees who passed the February 2023 Texas Bar Examination. The Board delivered individual exam result letters to each person who took the February 2023 Texas Bar Examination, unless an examinee’s scores were being held for other reasons.

We have posted the pass list here: https://ble.texas.gov/pass-list

The pass list will also be posted here: https://www.txcourts.gov/supreme/, https://texasbar.com/passlist

Statistical reports will be posted next week.

The State Bar of Texas will hold a New Lawyers Induction Ceremony for the eligible February 2023 examinees on May 15, 2023 at Bass Concert Hall in Austin.

Any person who is authorized to administer oaths—including a judge, retired judge, clerk, or notary—may swear in an eligible examinee, either before or after they receive their license in the mail. A person authorized to administer the oath may administer it to an eligible examinee remotely, such as by videoconferencing or teleconferencing, and may attest to the oath electronically by sending the eligible examinee an electronic or scanned image of their signature on the oath form. The person administering the oath must also comply with any other applicable requirements; for example, a notary must comply with the requirements for online notarization. See Tex. Gov’t Code §406.101 et seq.


July 2022 Questions and Selected Answers Now Available


The July 2022 questions and selected answers are now available on our Questions and Selected Answers page. 

July 2022 Texas Bar Exam Statistics Now Available


The July 2022 bar exam statistics can be found here.

July 2022 Texas Bar Exam Pass List


The Board of Law Examiners has released a list of all examinees who passed the July 2022 Texas Bar Examination. The Board delivered individual exam result letters to each person who took the July 2022 Texas Bar Examination, unless an examinee’s scores were being held for other reasons.

We have posted the pass list here: https://ble.texas.gov/pass-list

The pass list will also be posted here: https://www.txcourts.gov/supreme/, https://texasbar.com/passlist

Statistical reports will be posted next week.

The State Bar of Texas will hold a New Lawyers Induction Ceremony for the eligible July 2022 examinees on November 14, 2022 at Bass Concert Hall in Austin.

Any person who is authorized to administer oaths—including a judge, retired judge, clerk, or notary—may swear in an eligible examinee, either before or after they receive their license in the mail. A person authorized to administer the oath may administer it to an eligible examinee remotely, such as by videoconferencing or teleconferencing, and may attest to the oath electronically by sending the eligible examinee an electronic or scanned image of their signature on the oath form. The person administering the oath must also comply with any other applicable requirements; for example, a notary must comply with the requirements for online notarization. See Tex. Gov’t Code §406.101 et seq.


Changes to Mental Health Questions


At its June 17, 2022 board meeting, the Texas Board of Law Examiners unanimously voted to change all applications to remove questions about an applicant's diagnoses of or treatment for certain mental health conditions, substance abuse, or addiction. 
 
To practice law in Texas, an applicant must possess present good moral character and fitness. TBLE staff investigates every applicant to determine whether the applicant possesses the required present good moral character and fitness. The investigation focuses on any conduct showing that an applicant has character traits or fitness issues that are likely to injure a client, obstruct the administration of justice, or violate the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct if the applicant were licensed to practice law. 
 
The Board determined that removing the questions would avoid any misunderstanding or confusion about the purpose of the character and fitness review.  More importantly, the Board wanted to encourage applicants to seek appropriate help for mental health challenges when necessary and to reaffirm its practice of assisting applicants, including working with the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program, when appropriate.

February 2022 Questions and Selected Answers Now Available


The February 2022 questions and selected answers are now available on our Questions and Selected Answers page. 

February 2022 Texas Bar Exam Pass List


The Board of Law Examiners has released a list of all examinees who passed the February 2022 Texas Bar Examination. The Board delivered individual exam result letters to each person who took the February 2022 Texas Bar Examination, unless an examinee’s scores were being held for other reasons.

The pass list will be posted here:  https://www.txcourts.gov/supreme/, https://texasbar.com/passlist, and https://ble.texas.gov/pass-list.

Statistical reports will be posted soon.

The State Bar of Texas will hold a New Lawyers Induction ceremony for the February 2022 examinees on May 13, 2022.

Any person who is authorized to administer oaths—including a judge, retired judge, clerk, or notary—may swear in an eligible examinee, either before or after they receive their license in the mail. A person authorized to administer the oath may administer it to an eligible examinee remotely, such as by videoconferencing or teleconferencing, and may attest to the oath electronically by sending the eligible examinee an electronic or scanned image of their signature on the oath form. The person administering the oath must also comply with any other applicable requirements; for example, a notary must comply with the requirements for online notarization. See Tex. Gov’t Code §406.101 et seq.


New Lawyers Induction Ceremony


The State Bar of Texas has scheduled an in-person New Lawyers Induction Ceremony for eligible applicants who pass the February 2022 Texas Bar Exam.

New Lawyers Induction Ceremony

Friday, May 13, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. 

Bass Concert Hall

Austin, Texas

Additional information will be delivered to eligible applicants when the February 2022 Texas Bar Exam results are released in mid-April.


Transferring a UBE Score


On February 15, 2022, the Supreme Court of Texas amended Rule 13 §1. Now, a UBE score of 270 or higher that was earned within 5 years of applying to Texas can be transferred, without any practice time requirement.

As amended, Rule 13 §1 now reads:

Rule  13 Applicants from Other Jurisdictions

§1 Exemption from the Texas Bar Examination Based on a Transferred Uniform Bar Examination Score   

An Applicant who has earned a score of at least 270 on the Uniform Bar Examination in another State must meet the requirements  imposed on any other Applicant under these Rules, except that the Applicant is exempt from the requirement of successfully completing the Texas Bar Examination if the Uniform Bar Examination score was earned within five years immediately preceding the filing of the Application.

Please see our FAQs on the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) for additional information.


July 2021 Selected Answers Now Available


The July 2021 Selected Answers are now available on our Selected Answers page. 

Virtual New Lawyers Induction Ceremony


The State Bar of Texas is holding a virtual swearing-in ceremony on November 15, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Eligible July 2021 examinees have received an invitation through ATLAS to register for the ceremony. Guests are invited to watch the ceremony here: https://www.youtube.com/SupremeCourtofTexas.

 


The February 2022 Texas Bar Exam (UBE) will be administered at two sites.


Although we traditionally offer one consolidated testing site for the February bar exam, we are expanding to two sites—the Palmer Events Center in Austin and George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston--for the February 2022 exam to ensure that we have adequate social distancing.  

 

We will allow applicants to indicate their preferred site and we anticipate assigning them to their first choice.   

 

We plan to send instructions to applicants on selecting their site on December 3, 2021 and will require them to select a site no later than December 15, 2021.  We plan to notify all applicants of their final site assignments on December 17, 2021.    

 

For more information, see our Bar Exam information page.


Top Scores


The examinees with the Top 3 Scores on the July 2021 Texas Bar Exam were:

(1) Susanna Mae Rychlak Allen; Vanderbilt University Law School

(2) Griffin Haden Baker; Duke University School of Law

(2) Joseph Daniel Kmak; Emory University School of Law 

(3) Kyle Norman Ryman; University of Texas School of Law



July 2021 Texas Bar Exam Statistics Now Available


The July 2021 bar exam statistics can be found here.

July 2021 Texas Bar Exam (UBE) Results


All July 2021 exam results have been delivered to the ATLAS accounts of July 2021 examinees.

 

We have posted the July 2021 Bar Exam Pass List here.

Next week, statistics will be posted here. 

 

Remember, the Texas Law Course (TLC) is a requirement for licensure. For more information, please see our FAQs.


ORDER AMENDING RULE 4 OF THE RULES GOVERNING ADMISSION TO THE BAR OF TEXAS


You can view the Order here: https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1452726/219099.pdf

 

 


General Instructions for the July 2021 Bar Exam have been posted


We have posted General Instructions for the July 2021 Bar Exam here. You can also find them by opening the BAR EXAM tab (above) and clicking on Bar Exam Information.

 

If you have questions about the Instructions, please message your Licensure Analyst.


March 2021 Pass List and Statistics


We have posted the March 2021 Bar Exam Pass List here.

Statistics have been posted here. 

Results were delivered to the ATLAS accounts of March 2021 examinees last week.


February 2021 Pass List and Statistics


We have posted the February 2021 Bar Exam Pass List here.

Statistics have been posted here. 

Results were delivered to the ATLAS accounts of February 2021 examinees last week.


February 2021 Texas Bar Exam (UBE) Results


Results have been delivered to examinees privately through ATLAS. We will publish the Pass List and statistics next week.

February 2021 Texas Bar Exam and March 2021 Exam--Updates


We will continue to update our FAQs with information about the February and March 2021 exams. 

February 2021 Texas Bar Exam (UBE) and Texas March 2021 Exam -- Update


At an emergency meeting held yesterday afternoon, the Texas Board of Law Examiners discussed the recent severe weather events and statewide Disaster Declaration and the power and water disruptions that have impacted applicants taking the February Texas Bar Exam. Here's an update:   

  1. The Texas Bar Exam is part of a multi-state Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), which will be administered remotely as scheduled on February 23-24, 2021.     

  2. If you would like to defer to the July 2021 Texas Bar Exam (UBE), please message your analyst and we will transfer you to the July exam. No additional fees will be due. The deadline to defer to July 2021 is 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, February 25, 2021.  

  3. If you have no power next week and need to take the exam at a hotel, we will reimburse up to $250. Simply message your analyst after the exam and upload a receipt in ATLAS.  

  4. If you lose internet connection during an exam session, you will be able to continue working and finish that exam session. If you do not have internet connection to start an exam session, call the BLE at (512) 463-1621.    

For those applicants who are unable to take the February exam next week, the Board will administer a Texas March 2021 Exam. A score earned on the Texas March 2021 Exam can only be used for admission in Texas—it will not be transferrable or portable to any other state or jurisdiction.  

  1. If you are eligible to take the February exam next week and you do not take any part of that exam, and you do not defer to the July exam as outlined above, then you may register for the Texas March 2021 Exam. Registration procedures will be sent to eligible applicants through ATLAS after the February exam.  

  2. The Texas March 2021 Exam will be administered remotely on March 16-17, 2021.  

  3. The format of the Texas March 2021 Exam will be the same as the February 2021 Bar Exam. Areas of law that may be covered on the March exam include all areas of law that could have been covered on the February 2021 Bar Exam.   

  4. The $80 that you paid to ExamSoft for the February 2021 Bar Exam will be applied to the Texas March 2021 Exam. No additional license fees will be due to ExamSoft.  

  5. The application fee you paid for the February 2021 Bar Exam will apply to the Texas March 2021 Exam. No additional filing fees, application fees, or exam fees will be required.  

  6. A score earned on the Texas March 2021 Exam can only be used for admission in Texas—it will not be transferrable or portable to any other state or jurisdiction.     

The Board will continue to closely monitor the situation and will announce any updates on the Board's website and through ATLAS.  

 


Emergency Board Meeting


The meeting will be streamed here on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj9OYNqt4Ml-sbttNi_DM5A

To provide public comment, join the meeting via Zoom at https://txcourts.zoom.us/j/2792541638

 


February 2021 Texas Bar Exam Update


As all of Texas continues to get through a serious and severe weather incident this week, the Board hopes that everyone is managing as best as possible under the circumstances. 
 
The Board understands that many applicants for the Texas Bar Exam have been without power or water, which has disrupted their bar exam studies and created concern about next week's Texas Bar Exam (UBE). Here's an update and what we can offer to help:
  1. The Texas Bar Exam is part of a multi-state Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), which will be administered remotely as scheduled on February 23-24, 2021.   
  2. If you would like to defer to the July 2021 Texas Bar Exam (UBE), please message your analyst and we will transfer you to the July exam. No additional fees will be due.
  3. If you have no power next week and need to take the exam at a hotel, we will reimburse up to $250. Simply message your analyst after the exam and upload a receipt in ATLAS.
  4. If you lose internet connection during an exam session, you will be able to continue working and finish that exam session. If you do not have internet connection to start an exam session, call the BLE at (512) 463-1621 and we will arrange for you to start the session without internet.  

If you are unable to take the exam next week, a make-up exam will be offered in the coming weeks at a date and in a form to be determined, subject to Board approval. However, please note that if you are unable to take the Texas Bar Exam (UBE) next week, any score earned on the make-up exam could only be used for admission in Texas. A score on the make-up exam would not be transferrable or portable to any other state or jurisdiction.   

The Board will continue to closely monitor the situation and will announce any updates on the Board's website and through ATLAS.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at information@ble.texas.gov. 

Sincerely,

Texas Board of Law Examiners


The Texas Board of Law Examiners will remain closed on 2/17/2021


Due to inclement weather and power outages, our office will remain closed on 2/17/2021.

All February 2021 bar exam applicants must complete the ExamSoft registration process by Friday, February 12, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.


During the ExamSoft registration period, you must:
  • Purchase ($80), download, and register Examplify on the laptop or desktop that you will use for the exam.
  • Take and upload the first mandatory mock exam. (Please take your baseline photo in a well-lit area with no backlighting. The light on your face must be brighter than the light behind you. Don't take your photo in front of a window.)
  • Take and upload the second mandatory mock exam.

 

If you do not complete the ExamSoft Examplify registration process by Friday, February 12, 2021 at 5 p.m. central, you will not be able to sit for the February 2021 bar exam. 

For more information, please see:


February 2021 Bar Exam - Laptop Registration Reminders


Opened:  Tuesday, January 26, 2021.

Closes:  Friday, February 12, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.

 

    For more information, please see:

     

     

     

     

    Opening for Director of Admissions


    The Board is seeking a Director of Admissions. 

    October 2020 Texas Bar Exam Statistics Now Available


    The October 2020 bar exam statistics can be found here.

    October 2020 Texas Bar Exam Pass List


    We have posted the October 2020 Bar Exam Pass List here.

    Statistics will be posted next week.

    Results were delivered to the ATLAS accounts of October 2020 examinees this morning.


    October 2020 Texas Essay Questions and Procedure and Evidence Questions have been posted


    October 2020 Texas Essay Questions and Procedure and Evidence Questions have been posted on the Past Exams tab of our Bar Exam Information page.

    September 2020 Texas Bar Exam Statistics Now Available


    The September 2020 bar exam statistics can be found here.

     


    September 2020 Texas Bar Exam Pass List


    We have posted the September 2020 Bar Exam Pass List here.

    Statistics will be posted next week.

    Results were delivered to the ATLAS accounts of September 2020 examinees this morning.


    October Examinees-Monitoring Files



    October 2020 Bar Exam


    Information for the October 2020 Remote Exam

    • Update Examplify. You need to be on version 2.4.6. If you are not on version 2.4.6, you will be prompted to update Examplify next time you open it. Verify that the version displayed in the bottom right corner of the screen is 2.4.6. 
    • Download the exam files by October 2. You will receive an email from ExamSoft with instructions.
    • General Instructions for the October 2020 Bar Exam have been posted.
    • Additional FAQs have been added, and will be added as needed.

    Good luck next week!


     


    September 2020 Texas Essay Questions and Procedure and Evidence Questions have been posted


    September 2020 Texas Essay Questions and Procedure and Evidence Questions have been posted on the Past Exams tab of our Bar Exam Information page.


    Scratch Paper on the October Exam


    October examinees WILL be allowed to use physical scratch paper on the MPT and the Texas Essays. (Physical scratch paper will not be allowed on the MBE or the Procedure and Evidence Questions.)

    September Exam Day Reminders


    Reminders for the September 2020 Bar Exam

    1. You have been assigned to a room for the exam. That room number is connected to your reservation number. Do not change your room assignment, even if the Honors app allows you to select your own room or change to a different room. If you have already used the app to change your room, you can call your hotel directly and work with them to change it back to the room that we assigned to you for the exam.  If you change your assigned room, you will not be able to take the exam, and you will have to pay for the room yourself. 

    2. If you are using a laptop, remember to bring an extension cord. You may need it in order to reach an outlet.

    3. Your room has a clock in it. You may use that for the exam, and can position it and set it however you desire, but it must be silent during the exam.

    4. We will provide you with a small number of disinfectant wipes that you may use during the exam.

    5.  In addition to the Permitted Items listed in your checklist, you may also have the following items on your table during the exam: a bottle of hand sanitizer and individually-wrapped disinfectant wipes.

    --Texas BLE


    September Examinees-Hotel Reservation Numbers


    If you have questions about your hotel reservation number, email nahdiah.hoang@ble.texas.gov.

    Good luck next week.


    UBE Transfers and the October 2020 bar exams


    On August 24, the Board approved a proposal to accept a score of 270 or higher earned on the October 5-6, 2020 remote bar examination administered by the following Uniform Bar Examination jurisdictions as satisfaction of the UBE score requirement for admission under Rule 13 §1: the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont. 

    Please see our UBE Transfer FAQs and Rule 13 for more information.


    October Remote Exam


    The BLE is aware of the cancellation of the online Florida bar exam due to difficulties in ensuring reliable and secure remote connections. The in-person Texas Bar Exam scheduled for September remains in place and will be administered using software that has a proven track record. The online Texas Bar Exam scheduled for October remains scheduled, and the BLE is studying Florida’s experience to see what implications—if any—there may be for Texas examinees.

    Please monitor our website for updates.


    New applicants may now apply for the September 2020 in-person Texas Bar Exam or the October 2020 online Texas Bar Exam.


    NOTE: IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A PENDING APPLICATION FOR JULY, SEPTEMBER, OR OCTOBER, THIS PROCEDURE DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU--INSTEAD, LOG IN TO ATLAS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR ALREADY-PENDING APPLICATION.

    If you have not yet applied for the July/September/October 2020 Texas bar exam, and you would now like to submit a new application for September or October, create an ATLAS account if you don’t already have one, and then email the following to information@ble.texas.gov: 

    (1) Your full legal name 

    (2) The email associated with your ATLAS account 

    (3) Your application category: 

    • Reapplicant—An applicant who has submitted a bar exam application to us before, even if they never actually sat for the bar exam. Fee: $225, plus a $50 laptop application fee if applicable. 
    • In-State Law Student—An unlicensed graduate of a Texas law school who has never submitted a bar exam application to us before. Fee: $300, plus a $50 laptop application fee if applicable. 
    • Out-of-State Law Student—An unlicensed graduate of an ABA-approved U.S. law school outside of Texas who has never submitted a bar exam application to us before. Fee: $490, plus a $50 laptop application fee if applicable. 
    • Attorney with an ABA-approved JD. Fee: $1,040, plus a $50 laptop application fee if applicable. 
    • Attorney with a non-ABA-approved JD. Fee: $1,040, plus a $50 laptop application fee if applicable. 
    • Foreign-trained applicant. Fee: $1,140, plus a $50 laptop application fee if applicable. 

    (4) The exam for which you are applying: September 2020 in-person exam, or October 2020 online exam. Please see our FAQs for more information about the exams.

    (5) Whether you will use your laptop. (Laptops are optional for September and mandatory for October). 

    Once we receive your email, it will take up to 1 business day for us to re-open the application period for you. So, the day after you email us, go to your ATLAS account and hit the green “Start a New Application” button. Follow the prompts to access, complete, and submit the application. 

    If you are applying for the September in-person exam, you must email us by Monday, July 27, 2020, and you must then complete and submit the application through ATLAS by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2020. These are hard deadlines and will not be extended. 

    If you are applying for the October  online exam, you must email us by August 10, 2020, and you must then complete and submit the application through ATLAS by 11:59 p.m. on September 7. These are hard deadlines and will not be extended. 


    Supreme Court Order


    The Supreme Court of Texas has issued  an order to:  

    • Cancel the July 2020 in-person Texas Bar Exam. 
    • Administer an in-person Texas Bar Exam as scheduled for September 9-10, 2020, subject to guidance from public health authorities. 
    • Administer an on-line Texas Bar Exam on October 5-6, 2020. 

    Those who have applied for the July and September exams will have the option to take the October exam instead. Procedures for exercising this option will be posted soon. 

    The October on-line exam will be administered remotely. Details--including assistance for wi-fi and appropriate testing spaces, and arrangements for handwriters--will be posted soon. 

    July/September applicants may change their application to the February 2021 bar exam (UBE) examination without additional expense—simply message your analyst.  

    New applicants may apply for the September or October exam. An additional registration period for the September or October exam will be announced soon. 

    July applicants who have registered their laptops with ILG will be able to transfer their ILG Exam360 registration to September or October without additional cost.  

    For information on supervised practice under the Rules, please visit the State Bar of Texas.


    Emergency Board Meeting


    Pursuant to Texas Government Code Sec. 551.045(c), the Texas Board of Law Examiners will convene an emergency meeting to deliberate on the status of the July/September 2020 Texas Bar Examination, in response to the Covid-19 epidemic and increasing infection and hospitalization rates that have created a reasonably unforeseen situation requiring immediate action. The Board will consider and may make a recommendation to the Texas Supreme Court on whether the bar examinations scheduled for July and September shall be conducted as planned or may be modified.

    The meeting will be streamed live here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXL2s3c1yw1I6Z4SLLuhAhg/live
     
    Those wishing to offer public comment must join through this link: 
     https://txcourts.zoom.us/j/2792541638

    Emergency Board Meeting


    Because we are currently unable to accommodate all public attendees seeking to participate in the meeting that was posted for 9 a.m. on July 1, 2020, we must reschedule the meeting.
     
    Sincerely,
    Texas Board of Law Examiners

    July and September 2020 Bar Exams


    The Board is monitoring the COVID-19 and healthcare situation and consulting with state health officials. We are planning to administer the July and September exams as scheduled. We will immediately notify all examinees of any changes.

    For more information, please review our FAQs and Bar Exam Information page.


    July / September 2020 Bar Exams will be shortened to 2 days


              The Board of Law Examiners will conduct the remaining 2020 Texas Bar Examination in a condensed two-day format in two separate sessions scheduled for July 28-29 and September 9-10, 2020, as ordered by the Texas Supreme Court in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

              The Court’s Order issued on June 2, 2020 amends Rule 11(d) of the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar, to require the two-day examination and to re-weight the examination components to accommodate the Board’s plan to reduce the number of Texas Essay Questions (Essays) to six, instead of 12.  The modified examination will be weighted as follows:  Multistate Performance Test (MPT) 10%, Texas Procedure and Evidence (P&E) 10%, Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) 50% and Essays 30%. 

              The examination modifications will reduce the time required for applicants and examination staff to be present at the examination sites by one-half day and lower the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 coronavirus.  The Court’s Order follows the Board of Law Examiners’ recommendation adopted at its meeting on May 22, 2020, proposing to shorten the examination by reducing the number of essays and re-weighting the components to improve the reliability of the examination as a testing instrument.   The Board relied on a study performed in 2018 by Research Solutions Group, a psychometric consulting firm that evaluated the likely effect of adopting either the Uniform Bar Examination or a shorter, two-day bar examination.   The study concluded that using fewer Essays would lower the test reliability factor, but that increasing the weight of the MBE and reducing the weight of the six Essays would improve reliability to an acceptable level.   A full copy of the 2018 report is available on the Board of Law Examiners’ website.  

              The Board will administer the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), a two-day examination, for the February 2021 Texas Bar Examination.  The UBE consists of the MBE weighted 50%, two MPT questions weighted 20% and six Multistate Essay Examination questions weighted 30%.   A majority of U.S. jurisdictions now accept UBE scores for bar admission, subject to each jurisdiction’s individual requirements. 

              For more information, please see our FAQs.

     


    February 2020 Selected Answers & MPT Question Now Available


    The February 2020 Selected Answers are now available on our Selected Answers page. 

     

    The February 2020 MPT Question is now available on our Past Exams Page, and our Selected Answers page. 

     


    New FAQs for the July/September 2020 Texas Bar Exams


    We have added new FAQs to address examinee questions about the July/September 2020 Texas Bar Exam.

     


    Bar Exams scheduled for July 28-30, 2020 and September 9-11, 2020


    In its Thirteenth Emergency Order Regarding the COVID-19 State of Disaster (Misc. Docket No 20-9060), the Supreme Court of Texas:

    • Determined that the Board should administer the Texas bar examination as scheduled on July 28-30, 2020, subject to change based on state and local orders and the guidance of public health authorities.
    • Determined the Board should also offer an administration of the Texas bar examination on September 9-11, 2020.
    • Adopted updated Rules Governing the Supervised Practice of Law by Qualified Law Students and Qualified Unlicensed Law School Graduates in Texas.

    The full order, including the new Rules Governing the Supervised Practice of Law by Qualified Law Students and Qualified Unlicensed Law School Graduates in Texas, can be viewed here: Misc. Docket No 20-9060

    The Board will extend the final filing deadline for registering for the July 2020 Texas Bar Exam to 11:59 p.m. on June 1, 2020.

    • Seating for the July 2020 bar exam will be limited as needed to implement social distancing and other safety requirements. Seating will be prioritized based on registration date. If an eligible applicant is not permitted to take the July bar examination, we will automatically register the applicant for the September administration and transfer their fees, unless the applicant requests (on or before a date set by the Board) to change or withdraw registration and transfer the fees to a future administration in Texas or to an application for admission based on a transferred UBE score.
    • If any July 2020 applicant withdraws their application by June 1,  we will apply their fees to a future Texas Bar Exam or a future UBE transfer application. To withdraw, simply message your analyst by June 1.
    • New July 2020 applicants who have already submitted a UBE transfer application to us should request a fee waiver with their bar exam application so that we can apply their UBE transfer fees to the bar exam application.
    • The Board will waive late fees for new July 2020 applicants who are applying for the July 2020 Texas Bar Exam due to the cancellation or postponement of a bar exam that they applied for in another state. These applicants should request a fee waiver with their bar exam application and provide documentation of their registration for a now-cancelled or postponed bar exam.

    UPDATED 5/4/20: To apply for the September 2020 Texas Bar Exam, submit a bar exam application by the June 1 deadline. The Board will begin accepting applications for the September 2020 bar exam soon.

    • The July 2020 bar exam filing deadlines apply to the September 2020 Texas Bar Exam. 
    • To apply for the September exam, submit a bar exam application by the June 1 deadline. For now, the application will still reference the July 2020 bar exam. Our programmers will soon add a feature to ATLAS to allow you to easily convert an application for the July 2020 Texas Bar Exam into an application for the September 2020 Texas Bar Exam. We will notify you via ATLAS once this feature has been added. Any July 2020 applicant will be able to transfer to the September exam without any additional fees.
    • We are in the process of securing venues for the September exam. Please understand that we may not be able to offer the exam in all six cities.

     

    We will update our FAQs with more information about exam sites and application procedures in the coming days.


    COVID-19


    COVID-19

    As we face the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board is taking steps to protect the health and safety of our employees and the community. Our office building in Austin is closed to the public, but we are still operating. Current applicants may continue to communicate with their analysts through ATLAS. General questions may be sent to information@ble.texas.gov.

    We are scoring the February 2020 Texas Bar Exam, and expect to release results the first week of May.

    At this time, we are preparing to administer the July 2020 Texas Bar Exam as scheduled  (July 28-30, 2020), and no extensions have been made to application deadlines.  We are also exploring options for the July exam in the event that prohibitions against large gatherings remain in effect. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, and we will immediately notify all applicants through ATLAS of any changes to the July bar exam schedule.


    Our physical office is closed to the public


    Due to the current public health emergency, the Board of Law Examiners’ physical office is closed to the public until further notice.

    Board staff continues to work remotely with access to voice mail and may be reached through the ATLAS portal or by email.  Current applicants may continue to communicate with their analyst via ATLAS, and general questions may be sent to information@ble.texas.gov.


    July 2020 Bar Exam--Late Filing Deadline


    Unless you are awaiting your results on the February 2020 Texas Bar Exam, to meet the Late Filing Deadline to apply for the July 2020 Bar Exam, you must do the following on or before 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, 2020:

    (1) Upload an acceptable photograph to your ATLAS account--you will not be able to submit your application until after you have uploaded a photograph, and we have reviewed and accepted it

    (2) Complete and upload an Authorization and Release

    (3) Complete and submit your bar exam application through your ATLAS account

    (4) Pay the filing fee and a $150 late fee (or submit a fee waiver request due to indigence)

    If you do not complete all these steps by 11:59 p.m. on April 1, 2020, you may still submit your bar exam application during the Final Filing Period*, subject to a $300 late fee. The Final Filing Period ends on May 1, 2020. Unless you are awaiting your results on the February 2020 Texas Bar Exam, we will not accept any applications for the July 2020 Bar Exam after the Final Filing Deadline of May 1, 2020. No exceptions.

    *All applications for testing accommodations must be submitted with your bar exam application and by the Late Filing Deadline of April 1. No applications for testing accommodations will be after April 1.

    If you are awaiting your results on the February 2020 Texas Bar Exam, you will be able to apply for the July 2020 Texas Bar Exam during the Special Filing Period, which opens shortly after the results of the February 2020 Texas bar exam are delivered, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on June 1, 2020. No late fee applies.

    For more information, see:

    Filing Deadlines

    Bar Exam Information


    February 2020 Texas Essay Questions and Procedure and Evidence Questions have been posted


    February 2020 Texas Essay Questions and Procedure and Evidence Questions have been posted on our the Past Exams tab of our Bar Exam Information page.

     


    Uniform Bar Exam FAQs


    What is the UBE? When will Texas start giving it? You can find answers to frequently asked questions about the UBE here: UBE FAQs (Updated 8/20/19)


    July 2019 MPT Question Now Available


    The July 2019 MPT Question is now available on our Past Exams page, and our Selected Answers page. 

     


    July 2019 Selected Answers Now Available


    The July 2019 Selected Answers are now available on our Selected Answers page. 

     


    July 2019 Statistics Now Available


    The July 2019 exam statistics can be found here.

     


    July 2019 Texas Bar Exam Pass List


    We have posted the July 2019 Bar Exam Pass List here.

     

    Statistics will be posted next week.

     

    Letters have been delivered to the ATLAS account of July 2019 examinees.