State-by-State Bar Exam Information: Iowa
Bar Information
Key Dates
The last Tue and Wed of February and July (There is a mandatory orientation on Monday afternoon as well.)
Available at all times
April 1 (firm deadline). There is also a required law student registration, and applicants can avoid higher fees by turning this in as early as possible.
Exam Details
Multiple-choice: The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) Written: The Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) and two items from the Multistate Performance Test (MPT)
There is a mandatory orientation on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday, the two MPT items are administered in the morning (total of 3 hours), and the MEE items are administered in the afternoon (total of 3 hours). The MBE is administered on Wednesday, 100 questions in the morning and 100 questions in the afternoon--six hours total. The exam begins at 8:30 each morning.
The MBE tests Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law. Evidence, Property, and Torts. The MEE tested subjects are listed here.
Yes. All applicants who seek to take the exam on a laptop will be able to do so.
Only through the National Conference of Bar Examiners, as Iowa, effective February 2009, is using only NCBE's tests.
The written portion (essays, 30%, and performance tests, 20%, combined) and multiple-choice portion are weighted equally--each at 50%. Applicants must achieve a combined total score of 264.
Statistics
July 2011: 90%
July 2011: 87%
Reciprocity
Yes, if from one of the last four MBE administrations
Yes, but only if they have practiced law for five of the previous seven years. Consult the jurisdiction directly for more detailed information on admission by motion.
The information for Iowa comes from the Iowa Office of Professional Regulation's website and response to our survey, as well as from the National Conference of Bar Examiners' Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements and annual statistical report.
