Bar Exam Information

On this page, you can find information for the various bar examinations and deadlines that are applicable to your situation. Please read the information thoroughly, paying special attention to required deadlines and fee information. Various required forms are linked throughout the page for easy download.

Character & Fitness 

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE)

Test Dates, Deadlines, and Fees:

* Applicants whose religious beliefs preclude them from taking the MPRE on a Saturday may apply with LSAC to take the exam on the designated alternate date, usually the following Monday. To apply, you must provide a letter to LSAC on official stationery from your cleric confirming your affiliation with a recognized religious entity that observes its Sabbath throughout the year on Saturday. Email a copy of the letter to LSAC at MPREInfo@LSAC.org. The letter must be received at LSAC by the late registration deadline or you will not be allowed to test.

** ADA Accommodations Requests: All ADA accommodations requests must be RECEIVED by the late registration deadline; NO exceptions.

Tennessee Bar Exam

Students wishing to take the Tennessee Bar Exam 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 about the Tennessee Bar exam obtained from these sources.
Please note that the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners has a new website, http://www.tnble.org/.

TN Bar Application

Tennessee applicants must file bar applications with the Tennessee Bar.  The Board of Law Examiners uses an electronic application, and application instructions are available here.

Your bar application will require a notary. The Law Registrar, Cheryl Edwards or Clinic Administrator, Sandy Love are 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 and have notarized the Authorization and Release of Applicant page of the Law Degree Verification form. Then turn all pages into Cheryl Edwards, the Law School Registrar in Room 264 as soon as possible.

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 Jodi Wison, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, as soon as possible.

Information about laptop testing versus hand-writing the bar exam is available here.

TN Bar Exam

The Tennessee Board of Law Examiners has adopted the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). The Tennessee Bar exam, a two-day exam, consists of:

• The Multistate Bar Exam (MBE)
• The Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), and
• The Multistate Performance Test (MPT). 

Other State Bar Exams

If you are taking the bar examination in another state, contact information for each state is available here through the National Conference of Bar Examiners. Additional information is also available in the 2018 Edition of the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admissions Requirements, a joint publication of the National Conference of Bar Examiners and the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.