The State Board of Law Examiners (BLE) was created by the Michigan Legislature to oversee the investigation and examination of persons who apply for admission to the State Bar. The BLE administers the Michigan Bar Examination twice a year, in February and July, and then releases the exam results. The office also processes applications for recertification from attorneys who have been on inactive status for more than three years and wish to resume active practice in Michigan. Board members are nominated by the Supreme Court and appointed by the Governor for five-year terms. The Clerk of the Supreme Court is the assistant secretary and treasurer.
NEWS
**As a reminder, DO NOT contact the Board of Law Examiners to inquire into your seat number or when bar results will be released. We will not give that information out.**
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September 14, 2020
BLE Revised Policy Statement 2(E)
Due to the revision of ABA standard
316 that now requires an ABA approved law school’s graduates to achieve a 75%
bar passage rate within two years of graduation, the BLE revised its Policy
Statement 2(E). Applicants whose character and fitness approval is pending can
now sit for the Michigan bar exam a total of three times within two years of
the date of law school graduation, as long as an applicant is actively engaged
in the character and fitness process, as determined by the Board.
Applicants must still have MPRE
clearance after the first time the examination is taken in order to sit for any
subsequent administration.
The policy language is on the BLE
site:
https://courts.michigan.gov/Courts/MichiganSupremeCourt/BLE/Documents/ADA_BLE_Rules_Statutes_Policy_Statements_September2020_a11y.pdf
Any applicant who meets the new
criteria for a re-exam must contact the BLE office at BLE-Info@courts.mi.gov to request a re-examination form.
Re-examination forms and fees are due to the BLE office no later than 60 days
prior to the exam being applied for by the applicant.
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New Requirements for
Bar Exam Essay Appeals
Appeal instructions are sent with the exam results of unsuccessful applicants. Please note that the Board is implementing additional requirements for those filing an appeal of their essay exam bar results. The instructions have been updated to include the following information:
An appeal of an essay question score shall total no more than five pages per each question. The appeal must lead with the score received for the question and the score the appellant is seeking. Do not restate the question and the facts. Any appeal of a question exceeding the five page limit will be rejected.
Appeals must adhere to MCR 7.212(B) Form of Briefs for font size, margins, and
spacing. Quotations and footnotes may be single spaced, however, excessive use of footnotes should not be used in an attempt to circumvent the page limit. The only appendices permitted are the applicant’s original essay answer and the typed answer if the original was handwritten. Any appeal of a question not conforming to these requirements will be rejected.
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Bar Examination Essay Topics
Examinees must be knowledgeable about all essay topics listed
in Board of Law Examiners Rule 3. The
Board may test on any of these areas of Michigan law.
BLE Announces Improved Scoring System for Michigan Bar Examination
Summary: Improving Michigan Bar Examination Scoring System (pdf)
The new system best ensures the examination’s validity and reliability across administrations by providing for a more accurate determination of whether applicants have demonstrated a specified level of competence in Michigan law necessary for the protection of the public.
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Resources