UW School of Law is committed to supporting students with their bar preparations. As a part of our extensive bar prep program, Academic Success hosts a variety of bar-related workshops throughout the year. This includes offering a course designed to give students an early start on bar preparation. Additionally, the Washington State Bar Association visits our campus annually during UW Law's Bar Week to share application information with students.


Washington Bar

The Washington State Bar Association currently administers the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). The UBE consists of three components: the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT). For more information about the Uniform Bar Examination, please visit the National Conference of Bar Examiners. Beginning in July of 2026, the Washington State Bar Association will begin administering the new NextGen bar exam.

For information about the Washington State Bar Association and the application process, please visit their website: Join the Legal Profession.


2024 Bar Week Schedule of Events

  • Washington State Bar Association Presentation
    Watch the Jan. 29 recording (NetID required)
  • Early Planning for the Summer Bar / Q&A
    Watch the Feb. 1 recording (NetID required)
  • Simulated MBE Bar Exam
    Saturday, Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. in Rooms 133 & 138
    Lunch provided by Themis Bar Review

New York State Bar: Skills Competency and Professional Values Bar Admission Requirement

The New York Court of Appeals adopted the Skills Competency and Professional Values Bar Admission Requirement for all J.D. students who entered law school after August 1, 2016. The rule also applies to all LL.M. students who began their program after August 1, 2018. For more details about this requirement, please access the Frequently Asked Questions for New York’s Skills Competency and Professional Values Bar Admission Requirement document.

J.D. Students

The University of Washington School of Law anticipates that all J.D. students will satisfy the Skills Competency Requirement for admission to the New York Bar under Pathway 1. UW Law provides sufficient training in professional values and skills as part of its J.D. curriculum. The J.D. curriculum includes program-wide student learning outcomes in the areas of: (1) legal reasoning, (2) legal research, (3) effective writing, (4) oral communication, (5) problem solving (6) ethical conduct (7) diversity and equity (8) effective collaboration and (9) the ability to contextualize the law.

LL.M. Students

UW Law anticipates that all LL.M. students will satisfy the Skills Competency Requirement through either Pathway 4 or Pathway 5.