Bar Certification

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that he/she has satisfied all bar admission requirements of the state or states where he/she intends to practice law. A failure to obtain this information may delay or preclude admission to the bar. A Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admissions Requirements can be located at: http://www.ncbex.org/publications/. 

First Year students who plan to take the Illinois Bar examination after graduation may complete the Character and Fitness application in their first year. Third and fourth year students who plan to take the Illinois bar exam can complete the application online in their last year. Materials can be found at: www.ilbaradmissions.org. 

Background Information on the Illinois and Multi-State Bar Exams 

Bar Checklist | MPRE | Illinois Bar | Exam Details | Bar Courses

Bar Exam Checklist

• In your first year, register with the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar at www.ilbaradmissions.org  and complete the Character and Fitness application. The early deadline is March 1.
• Register for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) at the National Council of Bar Examiners at www.ncbex.org. The MPRE is offered three times a year, in March, August and November.  
• Complete all requirements to obtain  Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University Chicago, School of Law.
• Apply to sit for the Illinois Bar Exam with the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar at www.ilbaradmissions.org. The deadline for the February exam is September 1. The deadline for the July exam is February 1. 

Dean's Certificate 

Once your Juris Doctor degree has been posted on your transcript, the Law Registrar Office will send the Certificate of Dean of Law School to the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar to verify your degree and date of graduation.

Students who are taking the bar examination in another state are responsible for making sure that we receive the dean’s certificate for that state early enough to meet their deadline.  Some states may not have a specific form and simply require a letter verifying that you are a graduate of Loyola University Chicago, School of Law. If yes, you must submit your request in writing, in a timely manner in order for us to meet their deadline.

Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE)

The MPRE is the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, a multiple choice exam containing 50 questions, which is produced, marketed, and administered by the American College of Testing (ACT) on behalf of the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) three times each calendar year (March, August, and November). The test is designed to measure the examinee’s knowledge of the ethical standards of the legal profession and is two hours and five minutes in length. Many jurisdictions, including Illinois, require bar applicants to sit for the MPRE. The MPRE is also scored and scaled nationally, although each jurisdiction establishes its own passing score. Visit the website of the NCBE at www.ncbex.org for detailed information.

An applicant to the Illinois bar may take the MPRE at any time during or after law school.

Illinois Bar Applications

First Year Students- Students who plan to take the Illinois Bar exam after graduation may complete the Character and Fitness application in their first year. Materials can be found at www.ilbaradmissions.org.  First year applications are due no later than March 1st. If students do not apply during their first year, they may apply during their final year; however the application fee is substantially higher.

Third and Fourth Year Students - Students who plan to take the Illinois Bar exam in February or July  can complete the application online at the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar (www.ilbaradmissions.org ). The application deadline is February 1 for the July  exam and September 1 for the February exam .  Students who did not complete the Character and Fitness application with the Illinois Bar in their first year must wait until their last year to apply. Applicants who wish to apply after their first year, but before their last year must submit in writing to the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar an explanation as to why they want to apply at that time. The Board will only approve law student applications at that time if an applicant has serious matters of concern that will take time to investigate.

Illinois and Multi-State Bar Exam

Most law graduates take the bar exam after they graduate. Most states offer the exam in two parts: one day of the state bar exam (usually essay in form) followed by the multiple choice Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) on the second day. Each state bar exam may be a little different from the next, so be sure to ask the bar authorities from the state to which you will apply for admission. See Dean Faught for further information.

The Illinois Bar Exam is a 2 day exam offered on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of each February and each July.

The first day of the Illinois Bar Exam consists of:

• One 90-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) question. 
• Six Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) questions:
• MEE Subjects
  • Business Associations
  • Conflict of Laws
  • Family Law
  • Federal Civil Procedure
  • Trusts and Estates
  • Uniform Commercial Code
• ** Plus all MBE subjects (see below)
• Three questions drafted by Illinois examiners.

The second day of the Illinois Bar Exam consists of:

The 200-question Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) multiple-choice exam.

• MBE Subjects
• Constitutional Law
• Contracts/Sales
• Criminal Law/Procedure
• Evidence
• Real Property
• Torts

Results

February exam results are generally released six weeks after the exam. July exam results are generally released 8-10 weeks after the exam.

Most students who take a reasonably well-rounded curriculum at Loyola will be well prepared for the bar exam in any state. Students who, in planning their schedules, focus only on bar-related courses may not take advantage of the courses in the curriculum that offer a deeper perspective into the profession of law or that help develop important skills for the practice of law. Students who do not take enough courses that touch on the areas tested on the bar exam may find themselves poorly prepared for the bar. In either case, the student will find that his or her preparation for the profession of law is not well-rounded. For suggestions on what to take into consideration when choosing law school courses, please refer to the Curriculum Planning Guide for Law Students.

Bar Courses

‌Agency and Partnerships
Business Organizations
Civil Procedure
Conflicts of Law
Constitutional Law
Contracts
Criminal Law
Criminal Procedure Investigation
Criminal Procedure Adjudication
Estates
Evidence
Family Law
Federal Courts
Illinois Litigation
Legal Analysis Writing Enhancement Seminar
Negotiable Instruments
Advanced Torts: Perspectives in Tort Law
Pre-Trial Litigation
Products Liability Seminar
Professional Responsibility
Property
Real Estate Conveyance
Real Estate Transactions
Remedies
Sales
Secured Transactions
Securities Litigation Enforcement
Torts