Part D of the Georgia’s Rules Governing Admission to the Practice of Law allows attorneys to take a modified bar exam. The exam is available for out-of-state attorneys who do not meet the Georgia Bar Reciprocity requirements. Attorneys cannot have been previously admitted to the Georgia Bar and must be admitted by examination to another jurisdiction prior to the date of the Georgia Attorneys’ Exam.
The Georgia’s Attorneys’ Exam is a one-day exam and consists of the four essay questions on the Georgia Bar Exam and the two Multistate Performance Tests (“MPT”). The test does not include the multiple-choice Multistate Bar Exam (“MBE”). The attorney’s raw score is scaled to the scores of examinees taking both parts of the exam. Attorneys are assigned an MBE score of 135 and must achieve a total scaled score of 270.
Additional Requirements
Georgia’s additional Attorneys’ Exam requirements include:
Undergraduate Degree. Attorneys must possess an undergraduate degree by an institution approved by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation (CORPA).
Law Degree. A first professional law degree (J.D. or L.L.B.) from an ABA approved law school (determined at the time of graduation).
Character and Fitness. Attorneys must meet the applicable character and fitness standards. Attorneys cannot have been denied certification of fitness to practice law in Georgia and cannot have been allowed to withdraw an Application for Certification of Fitness to Practice Law in lieu of denial of the certification.
Good Standing and Prior Bar Exam. Attorneys must be in good standing and cannot have failed the Georgia Bar Exam or the Georgia Attorneys’ Exam.
MPRE. Attorneys must achieve a scaled score of 75 or greater on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (“MPRE”).
Georgia Attorneys’ Exam Application Procedure
Attorneys eligible for Admission on Motion Without Examination in Georgia must submit an Application for Certification of Fitness.
The Georgia Attorneys’ Exam is administered as part of the Georgia General Bar Exam and is offered at the end of February and July. Attorneys are required to file the Application for Certification of Fitness by the first Wednesday in July for the February exam. Applications will be accepted with the late filing fee up until the first Wednesday in October for the February exam. Attorneys must file the Application for Certification of Fitness by the first Wednesday in December for the July exam.
Applications will be accepted with the late filing fee up until the first Wednesday in March for the July exam. Late applications that do not pay the late fee will be treated as if filed for next succeeding exam. Late applications will be processed in the order of receipt but not after timely filed applications are processed. If appropriate, the Board may issue a temporary certificate that is valid for the requested examination, but the bar exam results will not be released until the Board certifies the applicant as fit to practice law.