Anaya Nolan
If you are a lawyer who wants to practice in Minnesota, you will need to pass the Minnesota Bar Exam, which tests an examinee's ability to analyze and reason alongside their knowledge and understanding of fundamental legal principles. However, there are some circumstances under which you may be admitted to the Minnesota Bar without taking the exam. For example, if you have been admitted to practice law in another jurisdiction with similar admission requirements to Minnesota and have practiced law for at least three of the past five years in that jurisdiction, you may be eligible for admission without examination. Foreign lawyers may also practice law in Minnesota as Foreign Legal Consultants without taking the bar exam, but they must maintain an office in Minnesota and have been actively practicing law in a foreign country for at least five of the seven years preceding their application.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Requirements to practice law in Minnesota | Pass the Minnesota Bar Examination, Pass the Character & Fitness portion of the bar exam, Pass the professional responsibility exam, Have a valid Minnesota law license, Be at least 18 years old, Have good moral character, Be a resident of Minnesota, maintain an office in the state of Minnesota, or designate the clerk of the Supreme Court as an agent for service of all purposes |
| Requirements to sit for the Minnesota Bar Exam | Have a Juris Doctorate degree (JD) or LLB provisionally or fully approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), Have a bachelor's degree from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, Have been licensed to practice law in a U.S. jurisdiction for 60 of the past 84 months, Have been practicing law as your principal occupation for 60 of the past 84 months, Meet all of the requirements (residency, age, MPRE score, moral character/fitness) |
| Maintaining a law license in Minnesota | Complete 45 approved continuing legal education credit hours every 3 years, including at least 3 ethics credit hours and 2 elimination of bias credit hours, Retain good character and fitness to practice law |
| Advantages of applying for a license to practice law in Minnesota | Reciprocity with other states, No need to take the bar exam again, Strong Legal Services system, Opportunities in corporate law and medical malpractice law |
| Resources for lawyers in Minnesota | Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA), Minnesota Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, Locally-based state bar associations, MPA (for paralegals) |
| Requirements for a temporary legal services license in Minnesota | Accept employment with a Minnesota legal services program, File a completed application for a temporary license, Submit certificates from the proper authority in each jurisdiction certifying good standing and no charges of professional misconduct, Submit an affidavit from the applicant's employer attesting to their competence and good character, Submit two additional affidavits of character and pay the required fee |
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What You'll Learn
Minnesota Bar Examination
To practice law in Minnesota, attorneys must be licensed by the State Board of Law Examiners. The most common way to obtain this license is by passing the Minnesota Bar Examination. The exam is held twice per year, in February and July, and consists of two full-day sessions.
The Minnesota Bar Examination is a Universal Bar Exam (UBE), which means that it is uniformly administered and results in a portable score. This allows applicants to transfer their scores to other UBE jurisdictions. The UBE is developed and coordinated by the National Conference of Bar Examiners and consists of three sections: the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT).
The MBE is a six-hour, 200-question multiple-choice examination that accounts for 50% of an examinee's total UBE score. It is designed to assess an examinee's ability to apply fundamental legal principles and reasoning to analyze given fact patterns. The MEE, which accounts for 30% of the UBE score, consists of six 30-minute issue-spotter questions that must be answered in essay form. The MPT makes up the remaining 20% of the UBE score.
In addition to passing the UBE, applicants must also pass the Character & Fitness portion of the bar exam and the professional responsibility exam, known as the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE). The MPRE consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and assesses an examinee's knowledge and understanding of professional conduct and ethical standards.
To be eligible to sit for the Minnesota Bar Examination, applicants must meet certain requirements. These include having a J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school, being at least 18 years old, and demonstrating good moral character. Additionally, applicants must be residents of Minnesota, maintain an office in the state, or designate the clerk of the Supreme Court as an agent for service of process. For graduates of law schools not approved by the ABA, additional requirements apply, including having a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and having been licensed to practice law in a U.S. jurisdiction for most of the past 7 years.
The Minnesota Bar Examination is a comprehensive and rigorous assessment that ensures attorneys are qualified to practice law in the state. By passing the exam and meeting the additional requirements, individuals can obtain their license to practice law in Minnesota and join the state's legal community.
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Education requirements
To practice law in Minnesota, you must pass the Minnesota Bar Examination and meet the character and fitness requirements, as well as pass the professional responsibility exam. The Minnesota State Board of Law Examiners requires that all lawyers in the state have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
If you are a graduate of a law school not approved by the ABA, you must meet the following requirements to sit for the Minnesota bar exam:
- Have a bachelor's degree from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
- Have a J.D. degree from any law school located within a state or the District of Columbia.
- Have been licensed to practice law in a U.S. jurisdiction for 60 of the past 84 months.
- Have been practicing law as your principal occupation for 60 of the past 84 months.
- Meet all other requirements, including residency, age, MPRE score, and moral character/fitness.
Graduates of foreign law schools are not eligible to take the Minnesota bar exam. However, if you wish to work as a foreign legal consultant in Minnesota, you must file specific documents with the Board, including an application form and an authentic certificate from the authority having final jurisdiction over professional discipline in the foreign country where you are admitted to practice.
Once you have a bachelor's degree, you can prepare to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), a six-hour-long standardized test required for admission to most law schools in the country. The LSAT covers reading comprehension and analytical reasoning (logic games). Additional preparation resources are available in Minnesota, including test prep courses offered by the University of Minnesota College of Continuing and Professional Studies and Lake Superior College.
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Maintaining a law license
To maintain a law license in Minnesota, there are several key requirements and procedures that must be followed. Here are the essential points to keep in mind:
Admission to the Bar
Admission to the Minnesota State Bar is the first step towards practicing law in the state. The Minnesota State Board of Law Examiners sets the requirements for admission, which include passing the Minnesota Bar Examination, the Character and Fitness portion, and the professional responsibility exam. A passing score on the bar exam is valid for 36 months, within which applicants must be admitted.
Education and Training
Lawyers in Minnesota are expected to maintain their knowledge and skills through continuing legal education (CLE). The state has specific CLE rules that licensed lawyers must comply with to remain in good standing. Failure to meet these requirements can result in an Involuntary Restricted (IR) status, which may impact an attorney's ability to practice law in the state.
Registration and Licensing
Lawyers in Minnesota must keep their registration statements up to date. The Lawyer Registration Office notifies licensed attorneys annually that their registration statements are ready for review. It is important to complete and submit these statements by the deadline to avoid administrative suspension, which can have consequences for licensure in other jurisdictions as well.
Ethical Standards and Conduct
The Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct outline the ethical standards that lawyers in the state must adhere to. The Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility oversees disciplinary matters and ensures that attorneys practising in Minnesota maintain the requisite professional conduct.
Membership and Networking
Joining organisations such as the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) offers valuable resources for continuing legal education, networking opportunities, and access to exclusive member content. It is also beneficial to join local bar associations and participate in seminars and events to stay informed about legal developments and connect with other attorneys in the state.
Temporary Licenses and Specialist Areas
Minnesota offers temporary legal services licenses for lawyers working with legal services programs for indigent clients. Additionally, the state has opportunities for lawyers in specialist areas, such as corporate law and medical malpractice law.
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Temporary legal services license
To practice law in Minnesota, you must pass the Minnesota Bar Examination and meet other requirements, including passing the Character & Fitness portion of the bar exam and the professional responsibility exam.
If you have accepted employment with a Minnesota legal services program, you may apply for a temporary legal services license. This license will authorize you to practice only on behalf of indigent clients of that legal services program for 15 months.
To qualify for a temporary license to practice law in Minnesota for a legal services program, you must file the following with the Minnesota State Board of Law Examiners:
- A completed application for a temporary license to practice law in Minnesota for a legal services program.
- A certificate from the proper authority in each jurisdiction certifying that you are in good standing and that no charges of professional misconduct are pending.
- An affidavit from your employer attesting to their knowledge of your competence and good character, and the fact that you have accepted employment as a lawyer for a legal services program in Minnesota and will be supervised by a licensed Minnesota lawyer.
- Two additional affidavits of character as prescribed by Rule 4B(4), and a fee consistent with Rule 12G of the Rules for Admission to the Bar.
The Minnesota State Board of Law Examiners is authorized to conduct investigations of applicants' backgrounds as may be reasonably related to fitness to practice or eligibility under the Rules, and to require applicants to pay the costs of the investigations.
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Admission requirements
To practice law in Minnesota, a person must have and maintain a valid Minnesota law license. Practicing law without a valid license is a crime. To obtain a new Minnesota law license, a person must meet the following admission requirements:
Education
To be eligible to sit for the Minnesota Bar Exam, an applicant must have a Juris Doctorate degree (JD) or LLB that is provisionally or fully approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). These requirements may be waived if the applicant meets one of the following criteria:
- Licensed to practice law in any state or territory of the US for at least ten years.
- Has been engaged in the practice of law as their principal occupation for 60 of the 84 months leading up to their application.
- Has graduated with a JD or equivalent and a bachelor's degree accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education.
Any applicant, including foreigners, can sit for the Minnesota Bar Exam if they have been licensed for over ten years in any US jurisdiction. Otherwise, they must meet the following criteria:
- Have a bachelor's degree awarded by an institution recognized by a foreign equivalent to the US Department of Education.
- Have a JD degree from any law school located within a state or the District of Columbia.
- Have been licensed to practice law in a US jurisdiction for 60 of the past 84 months.
- Have been practicing law as their principal occupation for 60 of the past 84 months.
- Meet all of the requirements (residency, age, MPRE score, moral character/fitness).
Examination
To obtain a Minnesota law license, an applicant must pass the Minnesota Bar Examination, which includes the Character & Fitness portion and the professional responsibility exam. The Minnesota Bar Examination is offered in February and July, and results are typically mailed by mid-April and early October, respectively.
Application
To qualify for a license, a lawyer must comply with the requirements of Rule 4A(1), (2), (3)(a) and (6) and must file the following with the Minnesota State Board of Law Examiners:
- A completed application for a temporary license to practice law in Minnesota for a legal services program.
- A certificate from the proper authority in each jurisdiction certifying that the lawyer is in good standing and that no charges of professional misconduct are pending.
- An affidavit from the applicant's employer attesting to their knowledge of the applicant's competence and good character, and the fact that the applicant has accepted employment as a lawyer for a legal services program in Minnesota and will be supervised by a licensed Minnesota lawyer.
- Two additional affidavits of character as prescribed by Rule 4B(4) and a fee consistent with Rule 12G of these Rules.
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Frequently asked questions
You must pass the Minnesota Bar Examination, which includes the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) and the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). You must also have a Juris Doctorate degree (JD) or LLB from an American Bar Association (ABA)-approved law school, be at least 18 years old, and be a resident of Minnesota, maintain an office in the state, or designate the clerk of the Supreme Court as an agent for service of process.
Yes, it is possible to be admitted to the Minnesota Bar without taking the bar exam under certain circumstances. You must have been admitted to practice law in another jurisdiction with similar admission requirements, have practiced law for at least 3-5 of the past 7 years, and meet the character and fitness standards.
The minimum scaled score required to pass the Minnesota Bar Exam is 260 out of 400. The exam consists of three sections: the MEE, MPT, and MBE, each comprising 50% of the total score.
Yes, you must have a Juris Doctorate degree (JD) or LLB from an ABA-approved law school. If you graduated from a non-ABA-approved law school, you must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and have been licensed to practice law in a U.S. jurisdiction for 60 of the past 84 months.
Foreign lawyers can practice law in Minnesota as Foreign Legal Consultants without taking the bar exam. They must maintain an office in Minnesota and have been actively practicing law in a foreign country for at least 5 of the 7 years preceding their application.
