Basic Notes for the MPRE

Students should consult the National Conference of Bar Examiners for information on registering for and taking the MPRE.  Here are the dates for this year’s MPRE.

Basic Notes for the Bar Examination

Students should consult the Board of Law Examiners of Tennessee and the National Conference of Bar Examiners for information on completing the bar application and preparing for the bar exam.  This page contains some general information obtained from these sources.

(1) File a Notice of Intent to take the Bar.

In Tennessee, applicants must file a notice of intent to take the bar examination.  The Board of Law Examiners is switching to an electronic application and the Board will not accept any paperwork prior to March 1, 2013. 

(2) Complete and submit your bar application.

Tennessee applicants must file bar applications with the Tennessee Bar. The Board of Law Examiners is switching to an electronic application and the Board will not accept any paperwork prior to March 1, 2013. 

Your bar application will require a notary.  Theresa Winkelmann (twnklmnn@memphis.edu), Brigitte Boyd (byboyd@memphis.edu), Paula Bethge (pcbethge@memphis.edu) and Sandy Love (stlove@memphis.edu) are all notaries at the law school.  They are available to notarize applications for University of Memphis law students at no cost.  Please schedule an appointment to meet with a notary and make sure to bring your student ID card for identification purposes. 

Make sure that you complete the Law Degree or Dean’s Certification form and turn it in to Cheryl Edwards, the Administrative Assistant to the Law School Registrar in Room 262. 

Disclose any admonitory actions before turning in your application.  If you failed to disclose an admonitory action such as an act of academic dishonesty or an arrest before law school or you were involved in an admonitory while in law school, contact David Romantz, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, as soon as possible.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU COMPLETE THE LAPTOP REGISTRATION FORM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE BAR’S DEADLINE IF YOU WISH TO USE YOUR COMPUTER TO TAKE THE EXAM. 

(3) Take the bar exam.

The Tennessee Bar exam, a two-day exam, consists of

• The six-hour Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), and
• Twelve 30-minute Tennessee essay questions, and
• The Multistate Performance Examination (MPE).

Copies of past Tennessee essay questions are available from the Board upon request.

The following subjects may be tested on the Tennessee bar exam:

• Business organizations, including agency, partnerships, corporations, and LLCs
• Civil procedure (Tennessee and federal)
• Commercial transactions, consisting of Uniform Commercial Code Articles 1 (general provisions), 2 (sales), 3 (negotiable instruments), 6 (bulk transfers),and 9 (secured transactions)
• Conflicts of law
• Constitutional law (Tennessee and federal)
• Contracts, including UCC Article 2 sales
• Criminal law and procedure
• Domestic relations or personal status (family law)
• Evidence
• Professional responsibility
• Property, real and personal
• Remedies and restitution
• Torts
• Wills and estates.

If you are taking the bar examination in another state, contact information for each state is available through the American Bar Association.

Important information for 2012 Tennesee Bar Exam:

• Exam Dates: February 26 & 27, 2013
• Exam Sites
• Filing Deadlines