The State Bar of California has already gone ahead with the proposal to establish a state-specific bar test which is expected to be rolled out in 2025. This shift is a departure from the current Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) model and brings guaranteed change that is specific to California's needs.
Transition Away from the MBE: Starting in 2025, California will no longer use the National Conference of Bar Examiners' (NCBE) Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) for its multiple-choice component. Instead, Kaplan will develop new multiple-choice questions specific to California.
Yes. Many states recognize foreign law degrees. However, these degrees are subject to review by state bar regulators. In addition, many states will require the successful completion of a course of study at an ABA-accredited law school.
California State Bar Admissions. Many students are interested in the California bar exam. California, unlike most US jurisdictions, does not administer the UBE, therefore it is important to understand how the California bar exam differs from the UBE.
That means California—which has the second-largest number of bar examinees in the country behind only New York—will not be switching over to the new version of the national bar exam set to debut in July 2026, as 21 other jurisdictions have now said they will.
Intent to replace the multiple-choice questions provided by the NCBE with questions developed by a new vendor, and. Intent to change modalities to administer the exam remotely and in person at small test centers.
For the Office of Admissions to confirm your eligibility to take the California Bar Exam, you must mail an official sealed transcript(s) to the Office of Admissions at 845 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017 once you have completed your LLM studies. Please note that electronic transcripts will not be accepted.
California Bar Examination Please note that the State Bar does not offer reciprocity or accept bar exam scores from another jurisdiction.
Yes. However, most jurisdictions require holders of foreign law degrees to have an additional legal degree, such as a J.D. or LL.
Some states allow foreign lawyers to apply for bar admission based on years of law practice and/or a qualifying foreign law degree (typically involving legal education in English common law). However, most states require foreign lawyers to obtain an LL. M. degree (or equivalent) from an ABA-accredited law school.