State-by-State Bar Exam Information: Maryland
Bar Information
Key Dates
The last Tue and Wed of February and July
The application is updated only when changes occur and is available continuously throughout the year.
January 16th (character & fitness); May 20th (exam application). With a late fee, the character & fitness application may be turned in as late as May 20th.
Exam Details
Written: 10 essay questions prepared by the Maryland Board of Law Examiners and one performance test from the Multistate Performance Test
Multiple-choice: The Multistate Bar Exam
**Maryland does not require the MPRE (ethics exam)
Day one: 9 — 11:55 am, 7 twenty-five minute essay questions timed as one 2 hr 55 minute session
Day one: 12:15 — 1:15 lunch
Day one: 1:30 — 4:15 pm, 4 twenty-five minute essays plus 1 ninety minute MPT timed as one 2 hr 45 minute session
Day two: 9 — 12 noon, one 3 hour MBE session- morning
Day two: 1:30 — 4:30 pm, one 3 hour MBE session - afternoon
Yes, but only if the available exam site(s) have the capacity to provide electric outlets for all laptop users. According to the Board of Law Examiners, "If the available exam sites can accommodate only a limited number, applicants will be assigned on a first come, first served basis."
Yes. Available here.
The written portions (essays, 58%, and one performance test, 8.7%, combined) are worth 2/3rds of the total score, and the MBE is worth 1/3rd. There is a detailed explanation of scoring available on the Maryland Board of Law Examiners' website here.
Statistics
2011: 82%
2011: 77%
Reciprocity
Yes, but concurrent examination only
Yes, but they have to take an attorneys' exam, which includes testing on Maryland-specific law but does not include the MBE.
Advice
Maryland does not require the MPRE, but 47 other states do. For law students planning on sitting for the bar in Maryland, deciding whether to take the MPRE depends on how long your MPRE score will be valid in the eyes of another jurisdiction to which you might seek admission some years down the road. Consult the other jurisdictions directly or the National Conference of Bar Examiners (www.ncbex.org).
The information for Maryland was obtained from the Maryland Board of Law Examiners' website and response to our survey, as well as the National Conference of Bar Examiners' Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements.
