State-by-State Bar Exam Information: Virginia
Bar Information
Key Dates
The last Tue and Wed of February and July
It is available online for download at all times.
May 10 (no additional late-filing deadline)
Exam Details
Multiple-choice: The Multistate Bar Exam (MBE)
Written: State law-specific essays of varying lengths. Virginia does not administer a performance test.
Day 1: Essays morning and afternoon
Day 2: MBE morning and afternoon
The MBE tests Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts.
The Virginia essays test the MBE subjects as well as Agency, Conflict of Laws, Corporations, Creditor's Rights, Domestic Relations, Criminal Procedure, Equity, Federal Practice and Procedure, Local Government Law, Partnerships, Personal Property, Professional Responsibility, Sales, Suretyship, Trusts, UCC, Virginia Pleading/Practice/Procedure in law and equity (including appellate), Wills and Estate Administration.
Yes. All applicants who seek to take the exam on a laptop will be able to do so if they follow the procedures set out on the website and meet the laptop registration deadline.
Sample or model answers are not available, but past essay questions are available--either in hard copy form from the board's office for a fee, or from George Mason University Law School's website (no charge) here.
Essays are weighted at 60% of overall score; the MBE is weighted at 40%.
Statistics
July 2011: 81%
July 2011: 76%
Reciprocity
No
Yes, but only if they have practiced law for five of the last seven years and are admitted in a state that grants Virginia lawyers reciprocity. This means, for example, that Maryland lawyers would not qualify, as Maryland requires Virginia and other out-of-state lawyers to take an attorney's exam.
The information for Virginia comes from the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners' response to our survey as well as from the National Conference of Bar Examiners' Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements and annual statistical report.
