BAR ADMISSIONS
BAR EXAMINATION APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

The Uniform Bar Examination is administered in Charleston, West Virginia, on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July each year. The July 2023 Uniform Bar Examination will be administered at the Four Points By Sheraton Charleston in Charleston, West Virginia.

EXAMINATION TIME FRAMES

February Examination

• August 1 – first date on which applications will be accepted;
• November 1 – priority postmark deadline for applications;
• Applications postmarked between November 2 and December 1 require an additional $200 late processing fee; and,
• Applications postmarked after December 1 will not be accepted.

July Examination

• March 1 – first date on which applications will be accepted;
• April 1 – priority postmark deadline for applications;
• Applications postmarked between April 2 and May 1 require an additional $200 late processing fee; and,
• Applications postmarked after May 1 will not be accepted.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

FIRST: Read and familiarize yourself with the Rules for Admission to the Practice of Law in West Virginia. These Rules govern all applications to practice law in West Virginia, and all applicants are charged with knowledge of the Rules’ requirements. Thoroughly review the FAQs Exam Applicants, the instructions on this page, and the National Conference of Bar Examiners instructions for answers to your questions regarding the application process.

If you are reapplying to sit for a West Virginia Bar Examination, carefully review the FAQs Exam Applicants – Reapplication for answers to your questions regarding the reapplication process.

SECOND: Go to www.ncbex.org/ea — the website of the National Conference of Bar Examiners — and complete the West Virginia-specific character and fitness application online. Applications which are handwritten or not completed online will be rejected. Print out one original copy of the completed NCBE application and confirm that a bar code appears at the bottom. The application must be dated no more than sixty (60) days prior to the date of submission to our jurisdiction and the NCBE. Make a copy of the completed application and all materials you send to the WVBLE/NCBE throughout the process to keep for your records.

THIRD: Follow the NCBE’s instructions for submitting the required supporting material to the NCBE with your payment. This payment is separate from and additional to payment to the WVBLE. We will accept NCBE supplemental reports only if the original NCBE report was completed no more than three (3) years prior to the date of your application to West Virginia.

FOURTH: Mail the following materials to the West Virginia Board of Law Examiners at:

WVBLE
West Virginia Judicial Tower
4700 MacCorkle Ave. SE Ste 700B
Charleston, WV 25304

Do NOT include staples, post-it notes, and/or exhibit tabs with your application. Application materials are scanned upon receipt and using such items may cause your application to be torn or shredded during the scanning process. All materials must be submitted on paper measuring 8½” x 11”. Reproduction on both sides of the paper is permissible.

The following materials must be postmarked by the application deadline or your application will be rejected. If you fail to include these items you will not be given any grace period beyond the filing deadlines to correct the error:

• One original application. You must attach any required documents (e.g., copies of pleadings, orders, criminal complaints, military separation documents, financial, etc.), if applicable, which the application directs you to include to both the NCBE and WVBLE. If you no longer have the materials listed, contact the court(s)/issuing agency to provide copies of these documents (or provide their response, in writing, if they are unable to do so).
• One (1) completed Application Affidavit with original signatures of applicant and Notary Public, dated no more than sixty (60) days prior to your application submission.
• One (1) completed Affidavit of Authorization and Release with original signatures of applicant and Notary Public, dated no more than sixty (60) days prior to your application submission.
• Application Filing Fee payable to the State of West Virginia. Please reference the Application Filing Fee Schedule to determine the applicable fee to include.
• Official transcript from the school(s) that awarded your undergraduate degree(s). Transcripts must show that your degree has been awarded and the date on which it was awarded. Although a transcript does not have to be sent directly to the Board from the college or university, it must be an official copy certified by the school; photocopies and unofficial printouts will not be accepted. If the transcript indicates that it must be in its original, sealed envelope in order to be official, send it to the Board of Law Examiners without opening the envelope. If the college or university provides transcripts via electronic service you must request melissa.menefee@courtswv.gov as the designated recipient.
• An original credit report dated no more than thirty (30) days prior to the date your application is postmarked. A credit report printed from an online free annual credit reporting agency or from any website that provides detailed history on each account is acceptable. A print-out that shows only your credit score is insufficient. The report must include your full name and the date it was issued and no pages may be redacted.
• If you are requesting transfer of a previous Multistate Bar Examination score, complete and submit the MBE Transfer Certification Request (as well as answering the appropriate question on the application) with your application. The deadline for receipt of a transferred MBE score for the February bar examination is January 1. The deadline for receipt of a transferred MBE score for the July bar examination is June 1. It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact the issuing jurisdiction or NCBE to request that the score transfer arrive in our office by the deadline. NOTE: If you transfer an MBE score, you will not receive a Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) score; a successful bar exam score will be valid only for admission in West Virginia.

FIFTH: If you require special accommodations (e.g. extra time, special chair, large type, etc.) please complete the Special Accommodations Form. Be sure to include all documentation requested in the form. Your request must be postmarked no later than December 1st preceding the February examination, and no later than May 1st preceding the July examination. Information about courtesy accommodations for lactating women may be found here.

SIXTH: As soon as possible after filing your application, submit the following materials to the West Virginia Board of Law Examiners at the address listed in Step Four. Your file will not be complete and you will not be eligible for admission until we have received these items:

• Copies of bar applications you have filed in any other jurisdictions. If you did not retain a copy, contact the jurisdiction(s) and provide their response in writing if they are unable to provide a copy.
• Official transcript from the school that awarded your law degree. Transcripts must show that your degree has been awarded and the date on which it was awarded. Although a transcript does not have to be sent directly to the Board from the college or university, it must be an official copy certified by the school; photocopies and unofficial printouts will not be accepted. If the transcript indicates that it must be in its original, sealed envelope in order to be official, send it to the Board of Law Examiners without opening the envelope. If the college or university provides transcripts via electronic service, you must request melissa.menefee@courtswv.gov as the designated recipient. Your law school transcript must be received in our office prior to the exam. Graduates of the West Virginia University College of Law who are applying for the July exam after graduating in May will not need to provide an official law school transcript, as the WVU College of Law provides certification of law degrees directly to our office (graduates must be eligible for degree certification in order to sit for the exam).
• Original Certificates of Good Standing from the Clerk of the Supreme Court from each state where you have been admitted to practice, signed no more than sixty (60) days prior to your application submission.
• Official score report from the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE). If you specified West Virginia as one of the reporting states when you took the exam, you must inform our office in writing of the date you took the MPRE so that we can confirm your score without the need for an official score report. Pursuant to Rule 3.2(d), applicants for admission by examination must achieve a passing MPRE score of 80 within 25 months of successful completion of the West Virginia bar examination. There will be no exceptions to or waivers of this rule.

SEVENTH: Keep the West Virginia Board of Law Examiners apprised of any changes in the information provided on your application by submitting an Application Update Form when necessary. You must also inform the NCBE of changes to your application using the NCBE’s amendment forms available under your NCBE online account.