District of Columbia

Verified

Imported 2026-09-27 — not yet reviewed; confirm with the admitting authority.

How to apply

Application portalApply online

Character & fitnessApplication process managed by the jurisdiction's bar admission agency; many jurisdictions use NCBE's Character & Fitness application/investigation as part of the exam application (timing: filed together with or shortly after the bar exam application). Verify exact process/timing per jurisdiction at the agency_url.

Exam & score rules

Exam typeUBE; transitioning to NextGen UBE (first administration: February 2028)

UBE min score266

MPRE requiredyes (min: 75)

Education requirementABA-approved J.D. NOT strictly required. Alternatives permitted: Non-ABA-approved out-of-state law school (Additional requirements: Specified number of hours at ABA-approved law school) Foreign-law graduates may be eligible (see jurisdiction rules).

Other required components

Local law componentNone; DC has no separate essay component, only UBE + MPRE.

Other pathsDC permits admission without examination based on years of active practice combined with either a passing UBE score transfer or on reciprocity; also permits admission based on being a graduate of a DC law school in some historical rules (verify current status).

Transfer options

Accepts transferred UBEyes, max score age 5 years

UBE transfer acceptedyes

Score age limit5 years

Admission on motion

Allows AOMyes

Reciprocal onlyno

Years of practice3 (flat, not X of Y)

AOM fee$595 (plus C&F fee; effective 4/1/24)

Other requirementsNo ABA-grad requirement; not limited to reciprocal states; diploma-privilege admittees ARE eligible. DC MPRE min score 75.

Official AOM source

Essays & sample answers

Publishes past essaysno (DC does not publish past MEE questions or sample answers on its own site)

Years availableConfirm with the admitting authority.

Sample answersno

Exam typeUBE

DC Court of Appeals Committee on Admissions site (dccourts.gov / admissions.dcappeals.gov) publishes exam logistics/instructions PDFs but no essay-question or sample-answer archive was found; unsuccessful applicants can review answers in a proctored session per third-party guides (crushendo.com), not via public posting.

Fees & deadlines

Feesfirst_time_applicant: $405 (plus C&F fee); attorney_applicant: $405 (plus C&F fee); repeater: $405 (plus C&F fee); laptop_fee: fee varies; admission_on_motion_fee: $595 (plus C&F fee); fee effective 4/1/24

Application deadlinesjuly_2026_regular: March 31; july_2026_late: —; february_2027_regular: Oct. 21; february_2027_late: —

Next exam datesjuly_2026: Scheduled (standard UBE/local administration); february_2027: Scheduled (standard UBE/local administration); nextgen_first_administration: February 2028; legacy_ube_final_administration: July 2027

Possible multi-bar pathways

Researched examples that name District of Columbia. Discovery content only — not eligibility approval.

DC + MD + VA ('DMV') combo — mixed UBE/non-UBE

DC and MD are both UBE jurisdictions (min score 266 legacy / 616 NextGen for both, first NextGen admin July 2026) — one UBE sitting in either can be transferred to the other via NCBE score-transfer. VIRGINIA IS NOT a UBE jurisdiction (VA drafts and grades its own bar exam), so a UBE score cannot be transferred into VA; VA is reached only via its own exam or its 'Admission Without Examination' (reciprocity) rule requiring 5 years' practice + a mandatory 12-hour VA CLE course (Rule 1A:1) completed within 6 months of applying.

Official sources

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 6 Source 7 Source 8 Source 9

UBE; District of Columbia has announced intent to administer NextGen UBE in February 2028 (confirmed via NCBE ncbex.org/jurisdictions/DC banner). | Caveats: Nature of DC's admission-without-examination practice-based pathway not independently re-confirmed against current DC Court of Appeals Rule 46 text.

VerdictUp is a study aid and does not provide legal advice or guarantee admission. Confirm with the admitting authority.