General Requirements for Admission
An applicant for admission to the North Dakota Bar must be 18 years of age and have received a juris doctor or equivalent degree from a law school approved, or provisionally approved, for accreditation by the American Bar Association.
Law Student Registration
Registration of law students is required. A law student registration application must be filed by October 1 of the student's second year of law school or within 14 months after the student's first day of the first year of law school. Applications filed after these deadlines shall be permitted upon payment of a late law student registration filing fee, but only up until the last established filing deadline prior to the opening day of the examination for which application is made. Fees include the late law student registration filing fee, if applicable, and a background investigative fee.
The law student registration application is appropriate only up until January 1 of the third year of law school. If it is later than this date, you must refer to Bar Exam Application below.
The law student registration application information and forms are available online and include the following Instructions, Standard-07 Electronic Application (NCBE Electronic Application), a State Board of Law Examiners' release form, and the Admission to Practice Rules.
Bar Exam Application
Administration of the February exam is dependent on ten or more applicants. Applications for the February exam must be postmarked by December 1 prior to the February exam for which application is made. Applications postmarked later than December 1, but by December 15 prior to the February exam for which application is made, shall be permitted upon payment of a late filing fee. Fees paid, excluding the investigative fee, will be refunded only in the event of less than ten applicants. The investigative fee is not refundable.
Applications to write the July exam must be postmarked by March 1 prior to the July exam for which application is made, and applications postmarked later than March 1, but by 90 days prior to the opening day of the July exam for which application is made, shall be permitted upon payment of a late filing fee. Fees paid for the July exam are not refundable.
Fees for future February exams, if administered, and for the July exam will include the late law student registration filing fee, if applicable; the $150 exam fee; a late exam filing fee, if applicable; and a background investigative fee.
The bar exam application information and forms are available online and include the following Instructions, Standard-07 Electronic Application (NCBE Electronic Application), Petition, State Board of Law Examiners' release form, General Exam Information, and the Admission to Practice Rules.
Laptop Use
Exam Dates and Location
The February 2009 exam, if offered, will be in Bismarck on February 24-25, 2009. The July 2009 exam will be in Bismarck on July 28-29, 2009.
Reciprocity
Individuals may be eligible to apply for admission based on five years' membership of the bar of another jurisdiction and engagement in an activity demonstrating competency in the practice of law for four of the last five years, or, based on a MBE scaled score of 150 or above within the last two years and admission in the jurisdiction of examination. The application information and forms are available online and include the following Instructions appropriate to the application, Standard-07 Electronic Application (NCBE Electronic Application), Petition, State Board of Law Examiners' Release Form, and the Admission to Practice Rules.
The telephone and fax numbers for the State Board of Law Examiners' office are:
701-328-4201
Fax 701-328-4480
Revised November 2008.