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MISSOURI BOARD of LAW EXAMINERS

Information & Applications » Rule 8.09 - Admission by UBE Score Transfer » Rule 8.09 - Admission by UBE Score Transfer


About Admission by Transferred UBE

Missouri began administering the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) in February 2011. UBE jurisdictions administer the same MPT/MEE components and score these components consistently. The Missouri Board of Law Examiners will accept a UBE score earned in another UBE jurisdiction if the scaled total score is at least 260 and was attained on a UBE administered within five years preceding the date the application to Missouri is properly submitted.  Applicants with a pending application to take the UBE in a jurisdiction other than Missouri (concurrent applicants) must transfer the UBE score within the time period provided in Rule 8.09(b).

To transfer your certified UBE score to Missouri you must request an official UBE score transcript from NCBE and pay a separate fee to NCBE. Instructions for submitting a request can be found on the UBE page on NCBE’s web site.

Applicants for admission by transferring a UBE score must satisfy all requirements for admission within one year after the date of written notification to the applicant of acceptance of the transferred examination score. See Rule 8.03(c). There is no refund of the application fee, even if you do not meet the requirements for admission or withdraw your application.

Character and Fitness

All applicants must receive approval by the Board of the applicant's character and fitness for admission. The Board will conduct a complete and thorough background investigation of every applicant before reaching a determination.

Information about the character and fitness process is available here

J.D. Requirements

Rule 8.09(a)(2) requires that a person applying for admission by UBE transfer hold a first professional degree in law (J.D. or LL.B) from a law school approved by the American Bar Association or furnish to the Board satisfactory evidence that he or she meets the requirements of Rule 8.07(d) or (e) at the time the application for admission is submitted. 

To demonstrate that your J.D. degree has been conferred, the Board of Law Examiners requires an official transcript that reflects the date the degree was awarded. "Issued to student" transcripts will not be accepted. You should request an official transcript be mailed directly to our office by your school or submitted electronically by the school with email notification to our office at transcripts@courts.mo.gov. The transcript must include the date your J.D. degree was awarded.

Graduates of nonABA-approved law schools and foreign law schools cannot apply for admission by Rule 8.09 unless they demonstrate that they meet the requirements set out in Rule 8.07(d) or (e). Review these instructions and checklist if you need to request permission under Rule 8.07(d) or (e) to apply for admission by transferred UBE because your law degree is not from an ABA-approved law school.

MPRE

Rule 8.09(a)(6) provides that an applicant must attain a scaled score of not less than 80 on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) before he or she can be admitted. The certified MPRE score must be received by MBLE no later than one year after the date of written notification of receipt by the Board of an acceptable UBE score.   

The MPRE is developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) and administered on NCBE's behalf by its test contractor, Pearson VUE.  Applicants can access the online MPRE registration only through their NCBE Number accounts.   For information on registration go to the MPRE page on the NCBE website.  

Applicants must request that NCBE report their MPRE score directly to Missouri. Score reports submitted by applicants are not acceptable. Additional information can be found online on NCBE's MPRE page.  You may also contact NCBE by telephone at (608) 280-8550.

Missouri Educational Component Test

Because the UBE tests on uniform principles of law, the Supreme Court of Missouri and the Missouri Board of Law Examiners have prepared a mandatory open book test ("Missouri Educational Component Test" or "MECT"). The review materials ("Missouri Materials") include outlines on subjects such as Torts, Civil Procedure, and Real Property. The Missouri Materials and the MECT are located at http://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=325.

All applicants applying for admission by Rule 8.09 must successfully complete the MECT as a condition of licensure.  The signed Certificate of Completion must be received by MBLE no earlier than the date the application is properly submitted and no later than one year after the date of written notification of receipt by the Board of an acceptable UBE score.  All applicants taking the MECT must sign the Certificate of Completion. Make certain that your name, email address and telephone number are correct on the form. Once printed and signed by you, your Certificate of Completion may be uploaded from your MBLE user home page OR mailed to the Board of Law Examiners, P.O. Box 104236, Jefferson City, MO  65110-4236.

Proof of Citizenship or Prescribed Alien Status

Rule 8.03(a)(4) requires all applicants must be either a citizen or national of the United States, an immigrant lawfully admitted for permanent residence, or an alien otherwise authorized to work lawfully in the United States. If you are a U.S. citizen, provide a CERTIFIED birth certificate, a CERTIFIED Consular Report of Birth, or a copy of your Certificate of Citizenship. ​If you mail the required document to our office in lieu of uploading the document, our office will retain these documents and they will not be returned to you. You should obtain a certified copy of your birth certificate from the appropriate government office in the state where you were born.  If you are a naturalized citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or an alien authorized to work in the U.S., provide a legible copy of both sides of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) document evidencing your current status - we will use it to verify your status through USCIS. We cannot accept a copy of your passport as proof of citizenship because USCIS will not verify status on the basis of a passport. You will need to provide a copy of your Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship. NOTE: An Optional Practical Training (OPT) authorization is considered part of the educational purpose of a non-resident student visa. It is not a work visa and is not considered by the Board of Law Examiners as satisfying the requirement of Rule 8.03(a)(4).

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