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MAINE BOARD OF BAR EXAMINERS
APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR THE MAINE BAR EXAMINATION

In Addition To These Procedures, Be Sure To Read And Follow All Maine Bar Admission 
Rules And All Instructions Included With And On The Face Of Your Application.

1.	REQUEST FOR APPLICATION: 

     You may download an appropriate application directly from the Maine Board of Bar 
Examiners' website at www.mainebarexaminers.org.  If you do not wish to download the 
application or other materials, you may write to the Board and request the Maine Bar 
Admission Rules, the Application Procedures, and a Request for Application Form.  
The Board does not accept telephone requests for forms or applications.  
If you want the Board to mail you an application, you must complete the Request for 
Application Form and mail it to the Board.

2.	APPLICATION FORM: 

     If you choose to download an application from the Board's website, it is your 
responsibility to determine whether you meet the educational requirements set forth 
in Maine Bar Admission Rule 10(c) to sit for the Maine bar examination.  If you are 
qualified, it is your responsibility to select the appropriate application form to 
complete and return to this office with the required examination fee. 

	The Maine Board of Bar Examiners uses three (3) different application forms, 
all of which are described in detail below:

     A.	If (i) you are not admitted to practice law in any jurisdiction, or 
(ii) you will have been admitted to practice in another jurisdiction for less than 
one year by deadline for filing applications, you must complete the Maine Board of 
Bar Examiners application form for applicants not admitted in another jurisdiction 
for one year or more.  

     B.	If you will have been admitted to the bar of any jurisdiction for more than 
one year by the deadline for filing applications, you must complete the National 
Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) application form, the request for an NCBE character 
report, and the supplemental application and forms for applicants admitted in another 
jurisdiction for one year or more from the Maine Board of Bar Examiners.  The form to 
request an NCBE character report is provided with the NCBE Application.  Although the 
form to request a character report contains fee information, fees for NCBE character 
reports are included in the Maine application fee as set forth below.  All application 
forms must be returned to the Maine Board of Bar Examiners. The Maine Board will file 
the request for the character report and pay the requisite fee to the NCBE. At times, 
the Board does not receive the NCBE report until after the grading process is complete.
If this occurs, you will be notified of the results of the examination, but a 
certificate of qualification for admission to the Maine bar cannot be issued until 
the Board receives the NCBE character report.

     C.	If you have applied to sit for any of the last four (4) administrations of 
the Maine Bar examination, you may complete an Application for Reexamination.  If you 
are admitted in another jurisdiction, you must file an updated certificate of good 
standing as part of the reapplication process.
  
3.	EXAMINATION FEE:  

     All examination fees must be paid by money order, cashier's check or certified 
check payable to the Maine Board of Bar Examiners.  The Board cannot accept personal 
or business checks. (See Maine Bar Admission Rule 6(b)). The total fee for each 
applicant who has been admitted to practice in any other jurisdiction for more than 
one year is $800.00. The fee is $450.00 for those applicants not admitted to practice 
in another jurisdiction for more than one year. Reciprocal applicants (i.e., New Hampshire 
and Vermont attorneyswho qualify under Maine Bar Admissions Rule 11A) must pay $900. The 
appropriate fee must accompany your application.  All fees are nonrefundable.

4.	FILING DEADLINE: 

     Pursuant to Maine Bar Admission Rule 5(a), your completed application, with the 
appropriate examination fee, must be received in the Maine Board of Bar Examiners' 
administrative office by 5:00 p.m. (EDT) on May 20 for the July examination and by 
5:00 p.m. (EST) on December 20 for the February examination. 
   
     Applications received by the Board within seven calendar days following the 
applicable application deadline will be accepted only upon payment of a late fee of 
$150.00. Applications received by the Board between the eighth and fourteenth 
calendar days following the applicable application deadline will be accepted only 
upon payment of a late fee of $300.00. The Board will not accept for filing any 
application that is received in its offices more than fourteen calendar days after 
the applicable application deadline.

5.	UNDERGRADUATE/GRADUATE/LAW SCHOOL CERTIFICATES:  

     In accordance with Maine Bar Admission Rule 5(c), a certificate from the 
undergraduate school from which you graduated and from each law school you attended 
must be on file with your application at least one week prior to date of the 
examination.  Forms necessary to obtain these certificates are included in the 
application.  In accordance with Maine Bar Admission Rule 10(c), you will not be 
permitted to sit for the examination unless the Board has received these certificates 
at least one week prior to the date of the examination. In addition, a certificate 
from each undergraduate school that you attended for two years or more must also be 
filed with the Board before you can be issued a certificate of qualification for 
admission to the Maine bar.

6.	REFERENCE QUESTIONNAIRES:  

     If (i) you are not admitted to practice law in any jurisdiction, or (ii) you 
will have been admitted to practice in another jurisdiction for less than one year by 
the deadline for filing applications, Reference Questionnaires will be included with 
your application. You must arrange to have three of the five references listed in your 
application complete and file a Reference Questionnaire with the Board.  The Reference 
Questionnaires may be filed after the application deadline, but must be on file with 
the Board before a certificate of qualification for admission to the Maine bar can be 
issued.  Reference Questionnaires must be received directly from the person completing 
the Questionnaire.  Reference Questionnaires received from applicants will be returned.

7.	CERTIFICATES OF GOOD STANDING:  

     If you have been admitted to practice in another jurisdiction, pursuant to Maine 
Bar Admission Rule 5(b), you must request that each such jurisdiction file a 
Certificate of Good Standing with the Board.  The Certificates of Good Standing may 
be filed after the application deadline, but must be on file with the Board before a 
certificate of qualification for admission to the Maine bar can be issued.

8.	MULTISTATE BAR EXAMINATION ("MBE") SCORES:  

     Maine Bar Admission Rule 10(e) explains the requirements regarding MBE scores.  
If you are required to have an MBE score, you may: (1) take the MBE in Maine; (2) take 
the MBE in another jurisdiction where you are taking the bar exam and transfer that MBE 
score to Maine; or (3) you may transfer a prior MBE score if you have taken the MBE 
within the 61 months prior to the current administration of the Maine bar exam as 
provided in Maine Bar Admission Rule 10(e)(1)(ii).  You must also transfer an MBE score 
if you wish to qualify for the further modified exam under Maine Bar Admission Rule 
10(e)(2).  Please note that MBE scores transferred for purposes of qualifying to sit 
for the further modified exam under Maine Bar Admission Rule 10(e)(2) must be received 
by the Board at least one week prior to the date of the examination.  If you transfer 
more than one MBE score, the Board will use the highest score. 
 
     If you are not required to have an MBE score under Maine Bar Admission Rule 
10(e)(1)(i), you may still transfer a prior MBE score to Maine.  The Board will 
calculate your final grade both with and without the transferred score and will use 
the higher of the two grades.
  
     If you are transferring an MBE score to Maine from another jurisdiction, you must 
request the other jurisdiction to send the MBE score to the Maine Board of Bar 
Examiners.  The score may be received by the Board after the examination [unless 
required for verification for the modified examination under Maine Bar Admission Rule 
10(e)], but must be received by the Board before a certificate of qualification for 
admission to the Maine bar can be issued.

     Prior to the examination, we will provide you with an MBE Transfer Information 
Form.  You must submit a completed MBE Transfer Form if you are: (a) transferring an 
MBE score from Maine to another jurisdiction; (b) using an MBE score from a prior MBE 
taken in Maine; and/or (c) retaking the MBE (whether you previously took the MBE in 
Maine or elsewhere) and wish to use the highest MBE score. The MBE Transfer Information 
Form may be filed with the Board office either before or after the examination, or you 
may turn it in at the examination.

9.	MULTISTATE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY EXAMINATION ("MPRE"): 

     Pursuant to Rule 11 of the Maine Bar Admission Rules, you will not be eligible 
for admission to the Maine bar until you have passed the Multistate Professional 
Responsibility Examination ("MPRE").  The MPRE is a test in addition to the Maine Bar 
Examination.  The National Conference of Bar Examiners administers the MPRE, not the 
Maine Board of Bar Examiners.  This additional examination is given several times a 
year at various locations nationwide.  For information about how, when and where you 
may take the MPRE, or to arrange for transfer of a prior MPRE score to the Maine 
Board of Bar Examiners, write or call the National Conference of Bar Examiners, MPRE 
Applications Department, PO Box 4001, Iowa City, IA 52243, (319) 337-1287.  You can 
also access information and arrange score transfers from the National Conference of 
Bar Examiners website at www.ncbex.org.

10.  MODIFIED EXAMINATIONS.  

     Maine Bar Admission Rule 10(e) outlines two modifications to the Maine Bar 
Examination.  You should review this Rule and determine whether you may be eligible 
for a modified examination.  If the Board determines you are eligible to take a 
modified examination, you may request to take additional portions of the examination.  
If you elect to take additional portions of the examination, the Board will calculate 
your grade both with and without the additional portions and will use the higher grade.
 
 11.	COPIES OF PRIOR MAINE ESSAY QUESTIONS: 

     The Maine Board of Bar Examiners releases copies of the Maine essay examination 
questions used in the last six administrations of the Maine Bar examination.  If you 
wish a set of the questions for one or more of those examinations, please send a $5.00 personal check, 
money order or cashier's check per set and designate which sets you wish to receive; 
e.g., February 2008; July 2008; February 2009, etc..

 12.  QUESTIONS AND COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOARD: 

     All questions regarding the application procedures and all correspondence with the 
Board should be directed to the Board's Executive Director.  All changes and 
supplements to your application must be submitted in writing.

	A. 	Regular mail:  Correspondence sent by regular mail should be addressed as 
follows:

Executive Director
Maine Board of Bar Examiners
PO Box 140
Augusta, ME  04332-0140

	B.	Overnight mail:  If you wish to send correspondence by overnight mail 
(federal express, UPS, etc.) and require a street address, use the following address:

Executive Director
Maine Board of Bar Examiners
40 Water Street
Hallowell, ME  04357
(207) 623-2464

Rev. 10.09