Opinion ID: 3163860
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Limitation on Examinations

Text: An applicant who has been unsuccessful in three attempts at the Uniform Bar Examination must petition and be given permission by the Montana Supreme Court before sitting for the examination again. The petition to the Court must include a study plan and an explanation of the steps taken and to be taken by the applicant to improve the likelihood of the applicant’s successful completion of the examination. J. Reexamination and Deferral 1. An applicant’s failure to appear for examination without first requesting a deferral in writing will result in the application being dismissed. The applicant must file a new application and pay the application filing fee for any subsequent application. 2. An applicant who, after filing an application for admission, finds that the applicant is unable to take the examination on the prescribed date or continue with the process in a timely manner may submit to the Bar 8 Admissions Administrator a written request for deferral to the next examination. 3. An applicant applying for deferral shall file an Addendum to Application no later than twenty days prior to the deferred examination, unless an emergency circumstance warranting the deferral occurs between the deferral filing deadline and the relevant Uniform Bar Examination administration, and the late deferral application is approved by the Bar Admissions Administrator. An applicant applying for deferral shall pay a deferral fee as provided in Rule I.G.4. 4. An applicant applying for reexamination shall file an Addendum to Application no later than twenty days prior to the Uniform Bar Examination administration in which the applicant seeks reexamination. An applicant applying for reexamination shall pay all regular examination fees as provided in Rule I.G. 5. If an applicant, after requesting a deferral or failing the examination, fails to timely file an Addendum to Application, the application will be dismissed by the Bar Admissions Administrator. The Administrator shall provide written notice of the dismissal to the applicant. The applicant must file a new application and pay the application filing fee for any subsequent application. 6. After three deferrals or requests for reexamination, an applicant must submit a new application and pay the application filing fee in addition to regular examination fees provided in Rule I.G. K. Transferring Scores Obtained on Earlier Examinations 1. Beginning with the July 2013 Montana Uniform Bar Examination, a Montana applicant’s score on the Uniform Bar Examination earned in another jurisdiction may be accepted and considered valid for a period of three years from the administration of the exam in which the score was earned as provided in Rule IV. Uniform Bar Examination scores must be 9 certified by the National Conference of Bar Examiners to the Montana Bar Admissions Administrator with a minimum passing combined scaled score of 270. Examinees who wish to have their certified Uniform Bar Examination scores transferred to other jurisdictions must submit a request to the National Conference of Bar Examiners for an official score transcript and meet all other requirements set forth in Rule IV. 2. All components of the Uniform Bar Examination must be administered in a single exam cycle. Scores from any one component of the Uniform Bar Examination may not be transferred from another jurisdiction or carried forward to any subsequent examination. An applicant must sit for all components of the Uniform Bar Examination in the same administration to gain admission to the State Bar of Montana. IV. Admission by Transfer of Uniform Bar Examination Score Beginning with the July 2013 Montana Uniform Bar Examination, a Montana applicant who has earned a Uniform Bar Examination score in another jurisdiction and who meets the qualifications of Rule I.C. and the other requirements of this Rule, may be admitted to the State Bar of Montana. The Uniform Bar Examination transfer score is considered valid and will be accepted for a period of three years from the first day of the administration of the examination in which the score was earned.
The applicant must: 1. hold a Juris Doctor degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of graduation; 2. have achieved a scaled score on the Uniform Bar Examination that is equal to or greater than 270 and that was earned in not more than three administrations of the Uniform Bar Examination within the three years preceding the date of the application for admission to the State Bar of Montana. The score must be certified by the National Conference of Bar 10 Examiners to the Montana Bar Admissions Administrator; 3. submit evidence of a score of 80 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination that was earned in an administration of the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination within three years preceding the date of the application for admission; 4. establish that the applicant is currently a member in good standing in every jurisdiction in which the applicant is admitted to practice law. If the applicant is not presently in good standing, the applicant must establish that he or she resigned in good standing or is capable of achieving good standing; 5. establish whether the applicant is the subject of any written complaints pending before a disciplinary agency in any jurisdiction and, if so, a description of the nature and status of any pending disciplinary complaints, including a copy of the complaint; and 6. establish that the applicant has been certified by the Commission on Character and Fitness to practice law in Montana.
Before being admitted by transfer of a Uniform Bar Examination score, the applicant must complete the Montana Law Seminar as provided in Rule VIII.
An applicant seeking admission to the State Bar of Montana by transfer of a Uniform Bar Examination score must: 1. meet the eligibility requirements for admission in Rules I.C. and