State-by-State Bar Exam Information: Rhode Island
Bar Information
Key Dates
The last Tue and Wed of February and July
Available all year on the Rhode Island Supreme Court's website
May 1st
Exam Details
Written: Three Rhode Island-specific essay questions, six Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) questions, and one performancre test from the Multistate Performance Test (MPT)
Multiple-choice: The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)
Day One: 90 minutes for the MPT; 90 minutes for three R.I. essay questions; lunch; six MEE questions.
Day Two: Three hours in the morning for first 100 MBE questions; lunch; three hours in the afternoon for second 100 MBE questions.
The MBE tests Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts.
The subject matters of the MEE essays will be drawn from the following topics: Agency and Partnership; Commercial Paper (negotiable instruments); Conflict of Laws; Corporations and Limited Liability Companies; Decedents' Estates; Family Law; Federal Civil Procedure; Sales; Secured Transactions; Trusts and Future Interests; Criminal Law; Evidence; and Torts.
The essays prepared by the R.I. Board of Bar Examiners may cover all or some of the following general areas: Business Entities (Corporations, Partnerships, Limited Liability Companies, etc.); Civil Practice and Procedure, including Equity; Probate, Wills and Trusts; Conflict of Laws; Sales, Commercial Paper, Secured Transactions and Creditors' Rights; and Domestic Relations.
Yes. All applicants who request to take the exam on a laptop will be able to do so.
The Rhode Island-specific essays are not available. Past multistate tests are available from the National Conference of Bar Examiners at www.ncbex.org.
The written portion (MPT, 9%, and essays, 41%) and the MBE are each weighted at 50% of the overall score.
Statistics
2011: 77%
2011: 75%
Reciprocity
Yes, but concurrent examination only
Yes, but they have to take an attorney exam--three local questions, one MPT, and six MEE questions.
The information for Rhode Island was obtained from the R.I. Board of Bar Examiners' website and response to our survey, as well as the National Conference of Bar Examiners' Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements and annual statistical report.
