N.H. joins states offering Uniform Bar Exam
The New Hampshire Supreme Court has formally adopted the Uniform Bar Examination
It will be a little easier for lawyers licensed in New Hampshire to practice in other states, and vice versa, now that the New Hampshire Supreme Court has formally adopted the Uniform Bar Examination.
With the new exam, successful New Hampshire applicants can gain admission to the bar in a number of other states without having to taking another bar examination.
New Hampshire is the first state in New England to adopt this practice.
The other states are Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Each jurisdiction sets its own time limit for transfer and establishes other admission requirements.
The Uniform Bar Exam is made up of three components: the multistate Performance Test, the Multistate Essay Examination and the Multistate Bar Examination.
According to Supreme Court Chief Justice Linda Dalianis, New Hampshire’s adoption of the uniform examination will provide law school graduates with more flexibility in finding employment.
“This exam retains the same high standards New Hampshire requires for legal practice in our state while also giving new lawyers more options for a job in other states during a tight economy,” she said.
The new exam will be administered by the New Hampshire Board of Bar Examiners. The essay portions of the UBE will be scored by board members, all New Hampshire attorneys. As with all new attorneys, UBE applicants who receive a passing score will be required to take a two-day practical skills course presented by the New Hampshire Bar Association, and they will have to satisfy all existing character and fitness requirements.
The new exam will be administered for the first time in February 2014. The New Hampshire will begin accepting motions for admission by transferred Uniform Bar Exam score Aug. 1.
More information is available on the National Conference of Bar Examiners website at http://ncbex.org/multistate-tests/ube.
