Admissions

To be eligible for admission, you must have:

1. Earned a JD from an ABA accredited law school;
2. Been certified by the Commission on Character & Fitness;
3. Submitted a qualifying MPRE score;
4. Submitted a qualifying UBE score (whether by exam or transfer) or have fulfilled the requirements to qualify for admission on motion;
5. Attended the Montana Law Seminar; MLS Registration Form
6. Paid your license tax and dues to the State Bar of Montana.

*Please note that the Copy of Application listed under Admissions in the Store tab is NOT for new applicants. This is for PRIOR applicants requesting a copy of an application previously submitted.*

Whether applying for admission by exam, transfer of UBE score, or seeking admission on motion, all applicants must complete the online NCBE Application for Montana. A signed original application must be mailed to the Montana Bar Admissions office along with all documents required on the Montana Application Checklist and the Montana application fee.

You are required to have an email address as email will be our primary communication method with you.

Applications for examination must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the Bar Admissions Administrator on or before the stated deadline. For exam applicants, the deadline for the February administration is October 1st and the deadline for the July administration is March 15th. Late applications will not be accepted without a Court Order approving late filing. If the Montana Supreme Court grants a petition for late application, a late filing fee will be charged in addition to the application fee.

Registration for the Montana Law Seminar and/or the Uniform Bar Exam is open only to applicants to the Montana State Bar. These fees are not refundable, and applicants may wait until they have been certified by the Commission on Character & Fitness before submitting the fee. Please register and pay online or send a check/money order to The State Bar of Montana at PO Box 577 - Helena, MT 59624.

• Pay ONLINE for Montana Law Seminar
• Pay ONLINE for UBE Exam

An applicant’s failure to appear for examination or the Montana Law Seminar without first requesting a deferral in writing will result in the application being dismissed. After three deferrals, an applicant is required to submit a new application and pay the application filing fee. To defer to the next exam, send the completed Addendum/Deferral form to the Bar Admissions Administrator with a check or you may pay the $20 fee online.

• Pay ONLINE for Addendum/Deferral

It is the applicant's responsibility to have NCBE certified UBE scores from another jurisdiction sent directly to the State Bar of Montana. ALL applicants are required to sit for the Uniform Bar Exam (the MEE, MPT and MBE) or meet the requirements to transfer a UBE score or Admission on Motion. To have your UBE score certified to Montana, contact the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Montana no longer accepts transferred MBE scores and all examinees must sit for the MEE, MPT and MBE in a single exam cycle to earn a UBE score.

UBE- Transfer applicants and applicants seeking admission on motion may submit an application at any time. The new format for the Montana Law Seminar is online and pre-recorded. Once the applicant's NCBE report has been completed an all required materials have been received, a link and materials for the course will be provided via the Bar Admissions Staff.

UBE Requirements:

Montana will accept the transfer of a score of 266 or greater from a qualified UBE exam within three years of the date of application. 

All UBE applicants are required to complete the application process outlined above through the NCBE and meet the requirements set forth in the Rules for Admission to the State Bar of Montana.

An MPRE score of 80 or better earned within 3 years of your application date is not required prior to sitting for the UBE but is required prior to admission to the Montana Bar. 

Montana does not give the MPRE, but information about registration and testing locations for the MPRE is available on the NCBE's website. It is the applicant's responsibility to have MPRE scores certified to the State Bar of Montana. Contact the NCBE to request your certified score be provided to Montana. A qualifying score must be certified to the Bar Admissions Administrator no later than nine (9) months after notification of successful completion of the Montana Bar Examination.

The Montana Supreme Court adopted admission on motion rules, effective January 1, 2016.

Applicants for Admission on Motion must comply with the requirements set forth in Rules For Admission to The Bar of Montana and submit the documents outlined on the Montana Application Checklist. Upon completion of the eligibility requirements, letters confirming the applicant is certified for admission will be sent to both the applicant and the Court.  A copy of the certification letter must accompany an original and 7 copies of your Motion to the Court.  The motion and the swearing-in process are under the authority of the Supreme Court and questions should be directed to the Office of the Montana Clerk of the Supreme Court at (406)444-3858.

The AOM price ($2,500) includes Admissions dues as well as the first year Bar dues. A separate application fee is charged for the NCBE Character & Fitness Application that is a requirement of your admission application, as outlined on the checklist. 

Note:  Information on accessing the Montana Law Seminar will be e-mailed to you after you have registered.  All applicants, whether by Admission on Motion, transferred UBE score or by examination, must attend the Montana Law Seminar (MLS). A link is sent to applicants once all requested admissions materials are received - the MLS course is entirely online.

The Montana Law Seminar is a Supreme Court-required course that will focus on the structure of the legal system in Montana, the unique aspects of Montana law and the accepted morals and culture of practicing law in Montana. The Seminar is directed specifically to those seeking admission to the Bar, and only those who are applying for admission to the State Bar of Montana are eligible to attend. The MLS is not a CLE program, nor will CLE credits be awarded.

A separate application fee is charged for the NCBE Character & Fitness Application. 

The NCBE Application (page i.) includes categories for Law Student Registration and Foreign Educated or Foreign-Licensed Attorneys. Montana does not currently accept early applications for law students or recognize foreign applicants. All applicants are required to hold a JD from an ABA accredited school.

If you have a medical, physical, or cognitive disability, you may request that the bar examination be administered under reasonable conditions to accommodate your needs. You must make your request by submitting the Request for Testing Accommodation forms. An applicant who claims a disability and who seeks an accommodation on the bar examination must submit a request for the accommodation with supporting documentation by the application deadline. Applications for accommodations not submitted by the application deadline will not be considered, except where the disability occurs after the application filing deadline.

Nursing Mothers Seeking Accommodation:

Although breastfeeding is not defined as a disability by the ADA, and is not to be considered one for purposes of granting accommodations, the Board will afford breastfeeding applicants accommodations in a manner consistent with public policy and law. Any breastfeeding applicant seeking such an accommodation shall submit a letter request for breastfeeding accommodation to the Bar Admissions Administrator by the filing deadline for the relevant Uniform Bar Examination administration stating the type of accommodation desired. The applicant need not submit the request for breastfeeding accommodations on the form otherwise required for a disability-based accommodation. A doctor's statement need not be submitted with the request but may be asked for by the Board at a later date. The request for breastfeeding accommodations should include documentation of the child's date or expected date of birth. Individual accommodations may vary, in the Board's discretion, depending upon each applicant's request or circumstances and whether such accommodations are medically necessary for the health of the applicant or the infant. For additional information, please see: Rules of the Board of Bar Examiners (Rule 104, subsection F).

The Montana Board of Bar Examiners is not affiliated with any bar review course. The National Conference of Bar Examiners is responsible for development of the MEE, MPT and MBE, and we encourage applicants to review the NCBE website for study materials as well as mock exams and other exam preparation. Consult the Board of Bar Examiners' rules and review the information provided by the Bar Admissions Administrator and the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

To request that a copy of your Application to Montana be provided to another jurisdiction, please complete this request form or send a written request and a $15 check to Bar Admissions Administrator, State Bar of Montana, P.O. Box 577, Helena, MT 59624. Note: Application files are maintained for five years, after which, if no litigation is pending concerning the application, the file may be destroyed.

*Under the Store tab, Admissions, there is also an option for Copy of Application where you can request and pay for your certified application.*