JULY 2020 Bar Exam: COVID-19 Updates
Last updated April 25, 2020
The following jurisdictions have made announcements about changes regarding the July 2020 bar exam. We will continue to update this page as we receive information from the jurisdictions.
Alaska
The Alaska Bar Association has announced that the exam will be held on September 9-10.
Arizona
The Arizona Supreme Court issued an order on April 6 authorizing the emergency adoption of court rule changes allowing law school students and recent graduates the limited ability to practice law in Arizona under the supervision of an attorney licensed in Arizona. A link to the order is available in Chief Justice Robert M. Brutinell’s letter to 2020 law graduates. The bar exam is still currently scheduled for July 28-29.
Connecticut
The Connecticut Bar Examining Committee announced in a March 30 press release that the exam will be postponed until fall 2020.
District of Columbia
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals issued an order on April 10 canceling its administration of the exam. A decision will be made by May 4 regarding a fall administration of the exam.
Georgia
The Supreme Court of Georgia issued order on April 17 announcing that the exam will be rescheduled for September 9-10. The Court has also adopted a temporary rule allowing recent law school graduates to become provisionally admitted to practice law prior to taking the bar exam. The new rule also provides a process for lawyers admitted to the bar of another state who have recently moved to Georgia to obtain provisional admission.
Guam
The Supreme Court of Guam issued an order on April 9 announcing that the exam will be rescheduled for September 9-10.
Hawaii
The Hawaii Supreme Court, in consultation with the Hawaii Board of Bar Examiners, announced in a March 31 order that the exam will be rescheduled for fall 2020.
Indiana
The Indiana Supreme Court issued an order on April 8 amending the time limitations of its graduate legal intern rule. The order allows anyone who graduated from law school after November 2019 to potentially serve as a graduate legal intern until the February 2021 bar exam, provided they have not failed any exam prior to that date. The bar exam is still currently scheduled for July 28-29.
Iowa
The Iowa Office of Professional Regulation has announced that the Iowa Board of Law Examiners intends to administer to the exam in July. If the exam cannot be administered as scheduled, the Board intends to administer the exam on September 9-10.
Kansas
On April 17, the Kansas Supreme Court announced that it will offer an additional administration of the exam on September 9-10 if needed, in addition to the July administration.
Maine
The Maine Supreme Court issued an order on April 15 stating that the exam is rescheduled for September 30-October 1.
Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners announced in a March 30 press release that the exam would be postponed until fall 2020. The press release was updated on April 6 to announce that the exam will be held on September 30-October 1.
Nevada
The Nevada Board of Bar Examiners has announced that it will make a final decision on whether to hold the July exam no later than May 22, 2020.
New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Supreme Court issued an order on April 10 announcing that the exam will be postponed until fall 2020.
New Jersey
The New Jersey Supreme Court announced on April 6 that the exam will be postponed until fall 2020. The order issued by the Court relaxes and expands Court rules to allow 2020 law school graduates to temporarily practice law under the supervision of experienced attorneys despite postponement of the exam.
New York
The New York Court of Appeals announced in a March 27 press release that the exam would be rescheduled for fall 2020. On April 6, it announced that the exam will be rescheduled to September 9-10.
North Carolina
The North Carolina Board of Law Examiners has announced that it presently intends to administer the exam in July. If the exam cannot be administered as scheduled, it will administer the exam on September 9-10.
North Dakota
The North Dakota Board of Bar Examiners issued an April 10 policy statement indicating that it is planning to administer the exam on July 28-29. If the exam cannot be administered in July, it will administer the exam on September 9-10. At this time, North Dakota is limiting the number of examinees to 85, with priority given as indicated in the policy statement.
Ohio
The Supreme Court of Ohio announced on May 13 that the exam will be postponed until September 9-10.
Oregon
The Oregon Supreme Court issued an order making certain emergency modifications to the Oregon State Bar Rules for Admission. The Oregon State Board of Bar Examiners intends to administer the exam on July 28-29. If the exam cannot be administered in July, it will be administered in the fall. Applicants who wish to take the UBE in Oregon in 2020 are encouraged to apply for the July exam; concerns about COVID-19 might require limited seating, and applicants will be seated on a first-come/first-serve basis.
Rhode Island
The Supreme Court announced on April 13 that the exam has been postponed indefinitely. The news advisory issued by the Rhode Island Judiciary indicated that the Court expects to issue an order on the matter soon.
Tennessee
The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an April 2 press release announcing temporary rule changes to address ongoing concerns with the July 2020 bar exam. The rule changes include extending the time applicants can practice under supervision or pending admission to November 15, 2021, and permitting transfer of applications from the July exam to a potential fall exam or to the February 2021 exam. The bar exam is still currently scheduled for July 28-29.
Utah
On April 21, the Utah Supreme Court issued an order modifying the bar examination passage requirement on an emergency basis for certain eligible law school graduates, according to an April 21 news release. Qualified candidates must have submitted an application to take the Utah bar exam on or before April 1, 2020; must have graduated from a law school with an overall first-time passage rater of 86% or greater in 2019; and must perform 360 hours of legal service under the supervision of an experienced attorney. For applicants who do not qualify for the alternative pathway, or for those wishing to gain admission through the bar exam, the Court intends to offer the exam in Utah at the earliest possible date in 2020 as soon as the exam can be administered safely.
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands Supreme Court announced on April 16 that the exam will be postponed until the fall.
Vermont
The Vermont Supreme Court announced that by an April 6 order of the Court, the exam is rescheduled to September 9-10.
Wyoming
The Wyoming Supreme Court issued an order on April 10 announcing an emergency rule that authorizes July 2020 bar applicants to be temporarily admitted to the practice of law with supervision, if certain conditions are met, in the event that the July exam is postponed. The rule is issued conditionally on the bar exam not being administered in July and will be of no effect if Wyoming is able to hold the July exam. The bar exam is still currently scheduled for July 28-29.
