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Maryland

Verified

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

How to apply

Admitting agencyMaryland State Board of Law Examiners
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: July 2026)
UBE min score616
MPRE requiredyes (min: 85)
Education requirementABA-approved J.D. NOT strictly required. Alternatives permitted: — (Additional requirements: Bar admission in another state) Foreign-law graduates may be eligible (see jurisdiction rules).

Other required components

Local law componentNone; Maryland requires no separate essay beyond the UBE (per NCBE 'Legacy UBE Jurisdiction-Specific Requirement: Yes' — likely refers to an added state-law course/certification requirement rather than a written exam; confirm directly with mdcourts.gov/ble).
Other pathsNo diploma privilege or supervised-practice pathway identified.

Transfer options

Accepts transferred UBEyes, max score age 3 years
UBE transfer acceptedyes
Score age limit3 years

Admission on motion

Allows AOMyes
Reciprocal onlyno
Years of practicenot confirmed at chart-14 level (contact MD SBLE)
AOM feenot confirmed
Other requirementsMPRE (85) required; MD also has a well-known UBE transfer path (see combos) separate from traditional AOM.
Official AOM source

Essays & sample answers

Publishes past essaysyes
Years availablePre-UBE Maryland General Bar essays: 1998-February 2015 ('Board's Analysis') plus Representative Good Answers 2013-2019 confirmed; post-UBE MEE/MPT Representative Good Answers from July 2019 through at least July 2025 confirmed
Sample answersyes ('Representative Good Answers', 2 per MEE/MPT item)
Exam typeUBE (adopted July 2019; prior to that, Maryland general bar essay exam)
Terms of usePages state Representative Good Answers are reproduced 'without any substantive changes ... by the Board' aside from spelling/formatting; no explicit open-reuse license, but freely downloadable
Essay archive / sample answers Essay archive / sample answers

Maryland State Board of Law Examiners is one of the most consistent posters of Representative Good Answers for both MEE and MPT items, every cycle since UBE adoption.

Fees & deadlines

Feesfirst_time_applicant: $750; attorney_applicant: $750; repeater: $400; laptop_fee: $130; admission_on_motion_fee: $700 (plus C&F fee)
Application deadlinesjuly_2026_regular: May 1; july_2026_late: —; february_2027_regular: Dec. 1; february_2027_late: —
Next exam datesjuly_2026: Scheduled (standard UBE/local administration); february_2027: Scheduled (standard UBE/local administration); nextgen_first_administration: July 2026; legacy_ube_final_administration: February 2026

Possible multi-bar pathways

Researched examples that name Maryland. 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.

NextGen UBE transition — early adopters (Summer/Fall 2026 cluster)

These jurisdictions are the FIRST to administer the NextGen UBE, in July 2026, at passing scores of 616 (CT/ID/MD) or 610 (MO) or 615/620 (OR) — and all begin ACCEPTING transferred NextGen UBE scores starting July 2026 as well, making them a fast early cluster for candidates who sit the new exam first.

Official sources

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 6 Source 7 Source 8 Source 9
UBE via the eBar online application system; Maryland has announced intent to administer NextGen UBE in July 2026 (confirmed via NCBE ncbex.org/jurisdictions/MD) — one of the earliest adopters. | Caveats: Nature of Maryland's flagged 'jurisdiction-specific requirement' (NCBE shows Yes but no plain-language description was captured) not independently confirmed; verify directly with mdcourts.gov/ble.

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