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Michigan

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

How to apply

Admitting agencyMichigan 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 2028)
UBE min score268
MPRE requiredyes (min: 85)
Education requirementABA-approved J.D. NOT strictly required. Alternatives permitted: Non-ABA-approved out-of-state law school (Additional requirements: See supplemental remarks)

Other required components

Local law componentNone identified beyond standard UBE components (per NCBE 'Legacy UBE Jurisdiction-Specific Requirement: Yes' — confirm precise nature, may be an added local-procedure course, directly with michbar.org).
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 practice3 of past 5
AOM fee$800 (plus C&F fee)
Other requirementsMPRE (85) required; ABA-approved JD required; diploma-privilege admittees ARE eligible.
Official AOM source

Essays & sample answers

Publishes past essaysyes
Years availableAt least February 2009 - July 2021 (per jdadvising.com summary: 'Michigan Bar Exams from February 2009 until July 2021 ... are online on the Michigan Board of Law Examiners' website')
Sample answersno verbatim applicant samples found, but Michigan posts detailed 'Examiner's Analyses' per question (e.g., July 2021, Feb 2022, Feb 2020, July 2017)
Exam typeUBE (adopted July 2021; prior to that, Michigan-specific essay exam)
Terms of useNot stated on pages found
Essay archive / sample answers Essay archive / sample answers

courts.michigan.gov hosts both question PDFs and Examiner's Analyses per cycle through July 2021, the last Michigan-specific-essay administration before UBE adoption.

Fees & deadlines

Feesfirst_time_applicant: $400 (plus C&F fee); attorney_applicant: $400 (plus C&F fee); repeater: $300; laptop_fee: fee varies; admission_on_motion_fee: $800 (plus C&F fee)
Application deadlinesjuly_2026_regular: March 1; july_2026_late: May 15; february_2027_regular: Nov. 1; february_2027_late: Dec. 15
Next exam datesjuly_2026: Scheduled (standard UBE/local administration); february_2027: Scheduled (standard UBE/local administration); nextgen_first_administration: July 2028; legacy_ube_final_administration: Not specified in source

Possible multi-bar pathways

Researched examples that name Michigan. Discovery content only — not eligibility approval.

UBE score transfer: IL + IN + MI (Midwest UBE cluster)

All three are UBE jurisdictions with 'no reciprocal-only' restriction on AOM and identical 3-of-past-5-years practice requirements — a candidate who qualifies for AOM in one typically qualifies to apply in the others as well, and/or can transfer a single UBE score to all three within their respective windows.

MBE score transfer (non-UBE states) — VA, FL, MI(reciprocal-only), WV, WI, others

A distinct, less-known portability path: several non-UBE (or partially-UBE) jurisdictions authorize NCBE to transfer a candidate's raw MBE (Multistate Bar Exam) scaled score — separate from the UBE's combined score — to another jurisdiction that accepts transferred MBE scores, letting a candidate skip re-taking the MBE portion of a second state's own exam.

Official sources

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 6 Source 7 Source 8 Source 9
UBE via barapp.michbar.org online application; Michigan has announced intent to administer NextGen UBE in July 2028 (confirmed via NCBE ncbex.org/jurisdictions/MI). | Caveats: Nature of Michigan's flagged 'jurisdiction-specific requirement' not independently confirmed; verify directly with michbar.org.

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