The New York State Board of Law Examiners
Operating under the auspices of the New York State Court of Appeals, the New York State Board of Law
Examiners is responsible for
administering the bar examination to candidates seeking admission to
practice law in the State of New York. The Board has been in existence for over a hundred years, having been created by the New York State Legislature in 1894.
Its five members are attorneys appointed by the Court of Appeals. The Board maintains a business office in Albany, New York with a full-time staff that oversees the bar examination.
The bar examination is administered twice per year, on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July. In 2019, the Board processed 15,736 applications for the bar examination and examined 14,200 applicants.
NOTICES:
UPDATED FEBRUARY 27, 2023
FEBRUARY 2023 BAR EXAMINATION
The February 2023 bar examination was administered on February 21 and 22, 2023. The results of the examination are anticipated to be released by the end of April.
JULY 2023 BAR EXAMINATION
The July 2023 bar examination will be administered in person on July 25 and 26, 2023 at test sites to be announced in the spring. There will be no remote option. The application filing period for the July 25 and 26, 2023 bar examination is April 1–30, 2023. Applicants must apply for the bar exam through their “BOLE Account” in the Applicant Services Portal. Any applicant who does not have a BOLE account, should click on BOLE Account in the menu and follow the instructions to create an account.
NEW YORK LAW EXAM
The results from the December 15, 2022 NYLE have been posted to candidates’ BOLE Accounts. To access the exam results, log in to your account in the Applicant Services Portal using your email address and password and navigate to the NYLE section within the portal.
The next administration of the NYLE is on Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 12:00 PM ET. The deadline to complete the New York Law Course and register for the March NYLE is Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET. Applicants who timely register with the Board to take the NYLE must also timely purchase, download and register the software with Examsoft. Examsoft will email applicants a few weeks before the date of the NYLE with all pertinent details and deadlines.
OCTOBER 2020 REMOTE BAR EXAMINATION UPDATE
Pursuant to the July 29, 2020 Order issued by the New York Court of Appeals (https://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps/news/Court-Orders-Covid19.pdf), applicants who passed the October 2020 Remote Bar Examination (either in New York or in another remote bar exam jurisdiction) must file their complete application for admission with the Appellate Division by no later than October 6, 2021.
Applicants who missed the October 6, 2021 deadline to submit their application for admission to the Appellate Division may petition the Court of Appeals for a waiver under Court of Appeals Rule 520.14 (see https://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps/admattrnyfaq.htm#Section1).
RECIPROCITY FOR THE TRANSFER OF SCORES EARNED ON THE REMOTE BAR ADMISSION EXAMINATION ON OCTOBER 5-6, 2020:
The New York State Board of Law Examiners has entered into reciprocity agreements to permit candidates to transfer scores earned on the remote bar admission examination that was administered on October 5-6, 2020. The Board has entered into reciprocity agreements with the following jurisdictions:
Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands and Vermont. A score off 266 or greater is required in order to transfer the score to New York.
The following candidates will be eligible to transfer to New York a score earned on the remote exam in a reciprocal jurisdiction:
1) Any candidate who graduated from an ABA-approved law school with a J.D. degree and who has not previously sat for a bar exam in any U.S. jurisdiction;
2) Any foreign educated candidate who graduated from an ABA-approved law school with an LL.M. degree and who has not previously sat for a bar exam in any U.S. jurisdiction;
3) Any candidate who graduated in 2018 with a J.D. degree from an ABA-approved law school and who sat for one prior administration of the UBE but who has not sat for more than one prior bar exam in any U.S. jurisdiction; and
4) Any candidate who graduated in 2019 or later with a J.D. degree from an ABA approved law school and who previously took the UBE and failed no more than two times.
Candidates who do not meet one of the aforementioned criteria may submit a verified petition to the Board seeking a waiver under Board Rule 6000.15. To apply by transferred remote bar exam score login to your BOLE Account and scroll down to Application by Transferred Remote Bar Exam Score and click the Remote Exam Transfer button to access the application. If you previously applied to take the bar exam in New York and received a credit of your application fee you will be able to apply the credit towards the fee for the Application by Transferred Bar Exam Score. Upon completion of your application you will receive an email confirmation from the Board with further instructions. Should you have questions please contact the Board at (518) 453-5990.
NOTICE FOR SPRING 2020 GRADUATES REGARDING APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
On April 21, 2020, the Court of Appeals announced the waiver for certain groups of students of certain rules related to law school instructional requirements and the bar admissions process including limits on distance education, the pro bono scholars program, the 50 hour pro bono service requirement, the skills competency requirement, and the timing of the New York Law Course and New York Law Examination. Click here to access the Court's Order. Click here to access the APRIL 27, 2020 STATEMENT FROM THE APPELLATE DIVISION PRESIDING JUSTICES REGARDING BAR ADMISSION PRACTICES.
REPORT OF THE IMPACT OF THE UNIFORM BAR EXAMINATION IN NEW YORK
The New York Court of Appeals announced on August 20, 2019 the release of the Study of the Impact of Adoption of the Uniform Bar Examination in New York. Click here to access the Press Release, Executive Summary, the Report and the Appendices.
NOTICE TO CANDIDATES WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY WITHDRAWN OR FAILED TO APPEAR FOR THE BAR EXAM
Candidates with multiple withdrawals may apply for a future exam, without first petitioning the Board. However, if the candidate withdraws or fails to appear, the Board may then, in its discretion, require the candidate to petition the Board before applying for a subsequent exam. See Board Rule 6000.9(b)(3) and the Bar Exam Information Guide.
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT SUPPORTING FOREIGN DOCUMENTATION FOR REVIEW
- July Bar Exam – To meet the six-month deadline for review of your documents, you must submit your Foreign Evaluation Form and supporting foreign documentation no later than October 1st of the year preceding the exam you plan to sit.
- February Exam –To meet the six-month deadline for review of your documents, you must submit your Foreign Evaluation Form and supporting documentation no later than May 1st of the year preceding the exam you plan to sit. LLM applicants who fail to meet these deadlines run the risk that they may not receive a decision from the Board on their eligibility in time to take the exam, causing the application to be denied and the application fee to be forfeited.
LLM applicants who fail to meet these deadlines run the risk that they may not receive a decision from the Board on their eligibility in time to take the exam, causing the application to be denied and the application fee to be forfeited.
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