APPLICATION UPON EXAMINATION BY TRANSFERRED UBE SCORE
1. WHO MAY FILE AN APPLICATION UPON EXAMINATION BY TRANSFERRED UBE SCORE?
Pursuant to Section 520.2 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law, effective October 1, 2016, an applicant who sat for the UBE in another jurisdiction may transfer the score earned on that examination to New York in lieu of taking the UBE in this State. The applicant shall file an application upon examination by transferred UBE score, pay the fee prescribed in Section 465 of the Judiciary Law (see below for the amount of the fee) and meet the following requirements:
A. The applicant has achieved a passing score on the UBE (the passing score in New York is 266) which shall be transferred in the form of an official UBE score transcript from the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE);
B. The applicant has satisfied the educational qualifications that are at least equal to those required by section 520.3, 520.4, 520.5, 520.6 or 520.17 of the Court's Rules;
C. The applicant has completed the additional requirements for admission prescribed in section 520.9 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals including the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), the New York Law Course (NYLC) and the New York Law Exam (NYLE); and
D. The applicant is at least 21 years of age.
2. WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR ADMISSION BY TRANSFERRED UBE SCORE IN NEW YORK?
Prospective applicants must create a BOLE Account and then click on UBE Score Transfer in the Applicant Services Portal to access the Application for Admission by Transferred UBE Score. Applicants should not file the application by transferred UBE Score until the applicant knows that they have achieved a passing score of 266. After an applicant has submitted an application for examination by transferred UBE score, paid the prescribed fee, provided proof of eligibility under Section 520 of the Court's Rules, and submitted their UBE score to the State Board of Law Examiners (Board), the Board will review the documentation and issue a determination by email whether the applicant's application by transferred UBE score is approved by the Board. Applicants should allow up to 30 days after the Board's receipt of all required proofs for the issuance of the determination, however, foreign-educated applicants must submit their foreign documents to the Board at least six months in advance of making application by transferred UBE score. All applicants must also take and pass the MPRE, complete the NYLC and take pass the NYLE Exam. Upon satisfying all of these requirements, the Board may then issue a certification letter certifying the applicant to the Appellate Division. Applicants must then complete and file the application for admission to the appropriate Appellate Division. See section 7 below.
3. WHAT PROOF MUST I SUBMIT TO THE BOARD TO ESTABLISH MY ELIGIBILITY FOR APPLICATION UPON EXAMINATION BY TRANSFERRED UBE SCORE?
Applicants should carefully review the eligibility requirements set forth in Section 520 of the Court's Rules to confirm their eligibility prior to submitting an application for transferred UBE score. The requisite proof of eligibility that you will be required to furnish to the Board is described in the Bar Exam Eligibility section on the Board's website.
A. Juris Doctor Applicants from ABA-Approved Law Schools: In order to complete the application, Juris Doctor applicants from ABA-Approved law schools will need (a) a copy of their law school transcript and (b) a copy of the Instructions for JD Applicants for Completing Curriculum Questions on Bar Exam Application, which is available in the Forms Section on the Board's website. Both documents will be needed in order to answer questions in the application and to complete the Law School Certificate of Attendance Form which you will be required to submit to the Board to prove your eligibility. Within 72 hours of submitting your application, you will receive an email with an attachment containing the Law School Certificate of Attendance Form. Submit the form to your law school to be certified by an appropriate law school official. The law school must mail the completed Law School Certificate of Attendance form directly to the Board. Certificates sent to the Board by the applicant will not be accepted.
B. Foreign-Educated Applicants: We urge foreign-educated applicants not to file an application upon examination by transferred UBE score until they have requested an advance evaluation of their eligibility under Court Rule 520.6 and received a written determination from the Board that they are eligible for application upon examination.
C. Non-ABA Law School & Law Office Study Applicants: Please consult the Bar Exam Eligibility Section of the Board's website for the list of required supporting documentation that must be submitted to the Board.
4. WHAT IS THE FEE FOR APPLICATION UPON EXAMINATION BY TRANSFERRED UBE SCORE?
The application fee varies based on the method of qualifying (see Judiciary Law section 465). $250- Section 520.3 (JD degree received from an ABA approved law school in the U.S.) $250- Section 520.4 (law office study) $250- Section 520.5 (unapproved law schools) $750- Section 520.6 (study of law in foreign country).
5. WHAT IS NEW YORK'S PASSING SCORE FOR THE UBE?
The passing score for the UBE in New York is 266 on a 400 point scale. An applicant must achieve a score of 266 or higher on the UBE to transfer the score to New York.
6. FOR HOW LONG WILL A SCORE ACHIEVED ON THE UBE TAKEN IN ANOTHER UBE JURISDICTION BE ACCEPTED IN NEW YORK?
A UBE score achieved in another UBE jurisdiction will be accepted in New York for three years from the date the applicant sat for the UBE. But applicants should pay careful attention to the deadline for filing their Application for Admission to the Appellate Division set forth in Court Rule 520.12(d)(1).
7. WHAT IS THE DEADLINE FOR FILING THE APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION WITH THE APPELLATE DIVISION?
Court of Appeals Rule 520.12(d)(1) requires applicants to submit their complete application for admission to the Appellate Division within three years from the date when the applicant sat for the second day of the UBE, whether taken in New York or in another jurisdiction. If you are coming up on the three year deadline to file your application for admission with the Appellate Division, it is imperative that you satisfy all of the eligibility requirements of Rule 520.2(b) immediately. For example, if an applicant took and passed the UBE in July 2017, the applicant must submit their application by transferred UBE score, transfer their UBE score, take and pass the MPRE, complete the NYLC, take and pass the NYLE and file their complete application for admission to the Appellate Division before July 26, 2020. Be advised that the Board will require sufficient notice and time to make a determination on an application by transferred UBE score. Accordingly, an application must be filed online at the Board's website at least 30 days prior to the expiration of an applicant's time to file the application for admission with the Appellate Division.
8. HOW DO I TRANSFER A PASSING SCORE TO NEW YORK?
Proof of a passing UBE score must be in the form of an official UBE score transcript from the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). Requests to transfer an official UBE score shall be made at http://www.ncbex.org/ncbe-exam-score-services/ube-score-services/. NCBE charges a $25 fee for each UBE score transcript.
9. ARE THERE OTHER ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS?
As discussed above, applicants must furnish proof of passing the UBE and MPRE, complete the NYLC and take and pass the NYLE before the Board may certify an applicant for admission to the Appellate Division. New York’s passing score for the MPRE is 85, and an MPRE score is valid in New York for four years from the date the applicant sat for that MPRE. The NYLC cannot be completed more than one year before the date when you first sat for the UBE and an NYLE score is valid for three years from the date of the results of that NYLE.
Prior to admission to practice by the Appellate Division, applicants must also satisfy the following requirements:
Applicants must comply with the 50 hour pro bono service requirement. Additional information is available at: http://www.nycourts.gov/attorneys/probono/baradmissionreqs.shtml.
Applicants who commence their law school studies after August 1, 2016 must comply with the new Skills Competency Requirement set forth in Section 520.18 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals. https://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps/news/nottobar/nottobar121615.pdf
Finally, applicants must satisfy the character and fitness requirements as set forth in Court of Appeals Rule 520.12 and the rules of the various Appellate Division departments. Additional information is available at http://www.nybarexam.org/Admission/Admission.htm.