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California Bar Admissions Information

Please Note: Graduation Requirement to Take the California Bar Examination

Students wishing to sit for the Bar Examination in July must complete all graduation requirements by the end of the preceding Spring semester. Students enrolled to earn any units during the Summer term will not be eligible to sit for the July Bar Examination offered during that same year.

Checklist for Admission to the California Bar

General Information

Information regarding the requirements for obtaining a license to practice law in any state is available on the American Bar Association (ABA) website. You may access the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements at the ABA Website.

All students who intend to seek admission to practice law in California must file four applications during their law school career. The following is a list of those applications including timely filing dates. Please note that as of August 2002, the State Bar’s Office of Admissions no longer provides the law schools or applicants with registration packets or California Bar Examination packets. Applicants will be required to go directly to the State Bar website and may either submit their registration directly on-line or download the forms and submit them by mail.

Registration as a Law Student: Students intending to practice law in California must register as a law student within 90 days of starting the study of law. Failure to do so will result in a late fee. Register on-line or to download and application.

Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE): The MPRE is required for admission to the bar in California. The test is offered three times per year, in March, August and November. Students are advised to take the MPRE after completion of Professional Responsibility Practicum. MPRE registration packets are available in the Registrar’s Office or applicants may register online.

Application for Determination of Moral Character: The California State Bar recommends that students file the Moral Character application 8 to 10 months prior to admission to the bar. Moral character applications are good for 36 months after clearance. Fingerprints are required for the Moral Character application and a fingerprint expert will be on campus for one day during each semester (usually October and February). Moral Character applications are no longer being distributed to the law schools. Applicants must now download the Moral Character application directly from the State Bar website.

Application to take the California Bar Examination: The General Bar Examination is administered twice per year, in February and in July. To register for the California Bar Examination, applicants must go to the bar website and either apply directly on-line or download the forms. The timely filing deadline for the February bar administration is the first business day in November and for the July administration the first business day in April

Practical Training of Law Students: The State Bar of California’s Practical training of Law Students (PTLS) program certifies law students to provide legal services under the supervision of an attorney. Please go to the following link for more information on the program.

Results and Swearing-In Ceremonies

The results for the July California State Bar Examination are usually released in late November and the Swearing-In Ceremony usually takes place on the Whittier Law School campus the first week of December. The results for the February California State Bar Examination are usually
released at the end of May and the Swearing-In Ceremony usually takes place the first week of June on the Whittier Law School campus.
All Whittier Law School students who pass the California State Bar Examination will be sent an invitation to participate in the Swearing-In Ceremony