Bar Admission

Colorado Bar Admission

To obtain a license to practice law in Colorado, one must:

  • Receive a J.D. from an accredited law school
  • Take the Practicing with Professionalism Course offered by the Colorado Bar Association
  • Pass the Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) (with a scaled score of at least 85)
  • Apply for Admission to the Colorado Supreme Court - Board of Bar Examiners
  • Pass Colorado's Uniform Bar Exam (with a scaled score of at least 276)
  • Meet the character and fitness requirements set forth by the Board of Bar Examiners

Students should visit the Colorado Supreme Court – Board of Bar Examiners website and review the bar application questionnaire to learn about the character and fitness requirements and the bar application process. 

We recommend that students begin their applications no later than February 1 for the July Exam (which has a May 1st deadline), and no later than October 1 for the February exam (which has a December 1st deadline). 

Extensive personal histories and official records need to be compiled in order to complete the application; this information can take weeks to months to gather.  Please also refer to the Character & Fitness section (see below) for more information about required disclosures and available assistance.

Admission in Other States

Each state maintains its own rules and regulations regarding the licensing of attorneys and has its own bar examination. The ABA provides a Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements, which contains a synopsis of each state’s bar admission requirements and relevant dates.

Please email lawreg@colorado.edu if you need specific paperwork filled out, your application forwarded, or a transcript sent to a state other than Colorado.  Please include in your email any relevant due dates for these materials. Again, we will certify your graduation only after Spring grades are final and you have completed all graduation requirements.

Bar Admission

Uniform Bar Exam

In November 2011, the Colorado Board of Law Examiners officially adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), which is an exam that consists of the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), and Multistate Performance Test (MPT).  UBE scores may be transferred to other jurisdictions that have also adopted the UBE.

 

Character & Fitness

Each state bar considers an applicant’s moral character and fitness to practice law before granting bar admission. Bar applicants are required to answer questions and to produce evidence bearing upon their moral character and fitness to practice law. 

The Colorado Board of Bar Examiners will ask you to provide a certificate of graduation and a copy of your law school application. The law school will complete this on your behalf, but you must submit the following request to the Law School for this process to be completed. The Law School will send these items directly to the Board of Bar Examiners. If you would like to view a copy of your law school application, you may do so through LSAC directly and not through the Law School.

If students have concerns about anything in their personal history, or if they become involved in any criminal matters before orientation, while in law school, or shortly thereafter, they should contact Whiting Leary, Senior Assistant Dean of Students, to discuss the proper disclosure steps to take.

Students are also encouraged to seek help from the Colorado Lawyers Assistance Program (COLAP). COLAP is an independent, confidential resource for judges, lawyers and law students struggling with depression, anxiety, stress and burn out, alcohol and drug abuse, prescription drug concerns, marital and family relationships, gambling, career concerns, eating disorders, balancing work and family, and aging in the profession. Phone: 303.986.3345. Toll free: 855.208.1168.

 

Informational Programs

As part of its Skills Series, our CDO offers two bar-related informational programs: 

  • Meeting the Character & Fitness Requirements for Colorado Bar Admission
  • The Nuts & Bolts of the Bar

These programs are intended to teach students:

  • How and when to apply to the bar
  • What is included in every application
  • What information needs to be gathered in advance
  • Eligibility requirements for bar admission

We are also available to meet individually with students who have confidential questions pertaining to their admission.

 

Bar Exam Review Courses

All students should take a bar exam review course prior to sitting for the exam. 

While the law school does not endorse any course in particular, below are a few courses that students have taken in the past.

Full Review Courses

Supplemental Bar Review Courses and Information (for MBE Jurisdictions only)

Patent Bar Review Courses

 

Financial Aid and the Bar

Students may work with a Financial Aid Counselor to include the cost of the Bar Exam in their cost of attendance and to increase their federal student loans to cover the actual cost. Students will need to provide documentation showing payment for the exam during the last semester they are enrolled in law school.

Private bar loans are another option to assist in covering bar exam related expenses, but should be considered carefully as they must be repaid according to the terms set by the relevant lender and do not qualify for consolidation or any student loan repayment programs.