Applying For Indiana Bar: Steps To Licensing

To practice law in Indiana, all law school graduates must apply for bar admission through a state board of law examiners and must take a bar exam to obtain a law license. The Indiana Bar Examination consists of the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), which includes the Multistate Performance Test, the Multistate Essay Exam, and the Multistate Bar Exam. The UBE has the benefit of score portability, meaning that examinees can transfer their scores to seek admission in other UBE jurisdictions.

To be eligible to sit for the bar exam, applicants must meet the following requirements:

- Be a graduate of a law school located in the United States that, at the time of the applicant's graduation, was on the approved list of the Council of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar of the American Bar Association.

- Have satisfactorily completed the law course required for graduation and furnish a certificate from the law school dean confirming this.

- Have completed two cumulative semester hours of legal ethics or professional responsibility in law school.

Additionally, applicants must pay a filing fee of $250 for the July exam and $250 for the February exam. Late filing is permitted until April 15 for the July exam and November 30 for the February exam, with a late filing fee of $500.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for a license to practice law in Indiana, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be at least 21 years old and possess good moral character and fitness to practice law.
• You must have obtained a JD degree (or its equivalent) from a law school located in the United States that was on the approved list of the Council of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar of the American Bar Association at the time of your graduation.
• You must have completed two cumulative semester hours of legal ethics or professional responsibility in law school.
• You must have passed the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) with a scaled score of 80 or above, achieved no earlier than two years before the date you sat for the Indiana bar exam.
• You must have passed the Indiana bar exam, which consists of the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). The UBE is made up of the Multistate Performance Test, the Multistate Essay Exam, and the Multistate Bar Exam.
• You must not have failed the Indiana bar exam or scored below 264 on the UBE within five years of the date of your application.
• You must be a member in good standing in all states of admission.
• You must meet Indiana's character and fitness requirements.
• You must have paid or tendered the required fee.

Application procedure

To apply for an Indiana law bar license, you must apply for bar admission through a state board of law examiners and take a bar exam. The Indiana Bar Examination is administered twice a year, in February and July. The deadline for the July exam is April 1, with a late filing period until April 15. The deadline for the February exam is November 15 of the previous year, with a late filing period until November 30 of the previous year.

The Indiana Bar Examination consists of the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), which includes the Multistate Performance Test, the Multistate Essay Exam, and the Multistate Bar Exam. The UBE has the benefit of score portability, meaning that examinees can transfer their scores to seek admission in other UBE jurisdictions.

In addition to the bar exam, most jurisdictions have a character and fitness process that applicants must participate in, and most require applicants to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam.

Eligibility

To be eligible to sit for the bar exam, you must be within 100 days of graduating from law school and have fewer than five credit hours left to complete.

Application

Applications for the bar exam must be submitted through the electronic application procedures prescribed by the State Board of Law Examiners. The application should be in the form required by the Board of Law Examiners and should request the information required by the Board. The Board may require additional information as deemed necessary.

Along with the application, you must submit:

• An affidavit of the law school dean, or their designee, stating that there is nothing in the school records or personal knowledge of the dean or faculty of such school to indicate that the applicant is not of good moral character or fit for admission to the practice of law.
• A certified transcript of the law school record, showing the date of graduation and the degree conferred. This must be submitted before the applicant can be admitted to the bar.

Fees

The application fee for the bar exam is $250. A late filing period is permitted, with a fee of $500.

Examination

To be admitted to the Indiana Bar, you must pass the Indiana Bar Examination. The Indiana Bar Examination consists of the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), which includes the Multistate Performance Test, the Multistate Essay Exam, and the Multistate Bar Exam. The UBE is administered twice a year, in February and July. The bar examination is just one part of becoming a licensed attorney. Most jurisdictions have a character and fitness process that an applicant must participate in, and most jurisdictions require applicants to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam.

Application and Filing Deadlines

Applications for admission on first examination must be filed through the electronic application procedures prescribed by the State Board of Law Examiners. The application fee for first examination for the July examination is $250. A late filing period is permitted until April 15, with a late filing fee of $500. The deadline filing date for the February examination is November 15 of the previous year, with a late filing fee of $500.

Eligibility

To be eligible to sit for the Indiana Bar Examination, you must:

• Be a graduate of a law school approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).
• Have completed the law course required for graduation and furnish a certificate from the dean of the law school that you will receive a JD degree as a matter of course at a future date.
• Have completed two cumulative semester hours of legal ethics or professional responsibility in law school.
• Be at least 21 years of age and possess good moral character and fitness to practice law.
• Not advocate the overthrow of the government of the United States or Indiana by force, violence, or other unconstitutional or illegal means.

Reciprocity

To be eligible for admission on reciprocity, attorneys must:

• Be admitted to practice law in another state, territory, or the District of Columbia.
• Have actively engaged in the practice of law for at least five of the seven years immediately preceding the application for admission. "Actively engaged in the practice of law" includes:
• Private practice (performing legal services for the general public as a lawyer for at least 1,000 hours per year)
• Serving as a judge (in courts of record on a full-time basis)
• Corporate counsel, business entity (performing duties for which admission to the practice of law is a prerequisite and for at least 1,000 hours per year)
• Judicial law clerks
• Have a law degree from an ABA-approved law school.
• Meet the applicable character and fitness standards. The character and fitness report is conducted by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE).
• Be in good standing in all jurisdictions where admitted.
• Not have failed the Indiana bar exam within the past five years.
• Intend to practice predominantly in Indiana.

Attorneys eligible for admission on reciprocity must complete an application, which can be filed at any time and takes approximately six months to process. Provisional licenses are valid for one year and may be renewed.

Fees

The fees for applying for an Indiana law bar license vary depending on the type of attorney registration and the timing of the payment.

Annual Registration Fee for Active Attorneys

Each attorney who is a member of the Indiana bar on August 1 of each year must pay a registration fee of $180 on or before October 1 of that year. A delinquent fee of $130 is added to the registration fee for payments made after October 1 and on or before October 15 of each year. A delinquent fee of $180 is added to the registration fee for payments made after October 15 and on or before December 31 of each year. A delinquent fee of $330 is added to the registration fee for payments made after December 31 of each year.

Annual Registration Fee for Inactive Attorneys

One-half of the registration fee mentioned above is required of an attorney who files with the Executive Director of the Indiana Office of Admissions and Continuing Education, on or before October 1 of each year, an affidavit of inactivity, stating that he or she is currently in active good standing or wishes to retain inactive standing, and that he or she neither holds judicial office nor is engaged in the practice of law in Indiana, except for practice permitted under Rule 6.2 Section 2(c). A delinquent fee of $50 is added to the registration fee for fees paid after October 1 and on or before October 15 of each year. A delinquent fee of $100 is added to the registration fee for fees paid after October 15 of each year.

Annual Registration Fee for Retired Attorneys

No registration fee is required of an attorney who files with the Executive Director of the Indiana Office of Admissions and Continuing Education, by October 1 of any year, an affidavit of retirement, stating that he or she is currently in active or inactive good standing, neither holds judicial office nor is engaged in the practice of law in Indiana, and does not plan to return to the practice of law, except for practice permitted under Rule 6.2 Section 2(c).

Reinstatement of Retired Attorneys

In the event there is no basis for the suspension of the attorney's license to practice law, a retired attorney's privilege to practice law shall be reinstated upon submitting to the Executive Director of the Indiana Office of Admissions and Continuing Education a written application for reinstatement and payment of:

• The unpaid registration fee for the year of reinstatement
• Registration fees, including delinquent fees, in the amount referred to in section (b) for each year of retirement
• An administrative reinstatement fee of $200

Annual Continuing Education Fee for Non-Attorney Judges

On or before August 1 of each year, the Executive Director of the Indiana Office of Admissions and Continuing Education shall mail or electronically mail to each non-attorney judge a notice that an education fee of $45 must be paid on or before the first day of October. Failure to pay the education fee on or before October 1 will result in the imposition of a delinquency fee of $45.

Frequently asked questions