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Washington Bar Exam Information

Click here to go to the Washington Bar Review Programs Page

ABOUT THE BAR EXAM

Format

In two and a half days, applicants are required to answer 24 essay questions. The substantive portion is given on the first two days and the Professional Responsibility portion is given on the morning of the third.
The Substantive Portion is given over two days, with three sessions of two hours and 15 minutes. Every session has three printed questions. Each question has 64 lines for the answer. Each response is confined to the lined space provided for that question. Laptop users are allowed a maximum of 4,963 characters for each essay answer. Three sheets of scratch paper are provided for each session.
The Professional Responsibility Portion is a single session of two hours and 15 minutes, given on the third day of the examination. There are six questions, each with 29 lines for the response. Laptop users are allowed a maximum of 2,349 characters. Again, three sheets of scratch paper are provided.

The bar examination does not include or require the MBE or MPRE.

Subjects
  • Administrative Law
  • Business Law
  • Corporations
  • Partnerships
  • Limited Liability Companies
  • Commercial Transactions
  • Article I - Definitions & General Provisions
  • Article II - Sales
  • Article III - Commercial Paper
  • Article IV - Bank Deposits & Collections
  • Article VI - Secured Transactions
  • Constitutional Law
  • State & Federal
  • Criminal Law (including substantive crimes and defenses
  • Non-Criminal Law
  • Contracts
  • Family Law
  • Indian Law/Tribal Sovereign Immunity
  • Real & Personal Property
  • Community Property
  • Conveyancing, financing, leasing, use, and zoning
  • Torts
  • Trial Procedure (Civil & Criminal)
  • Evidence
  • Procedure before, during, and after trial
  • Washington State Rules of Professional Conduct
  • Wills, Probates, and Trusts

Grading

To pass the Washington State Bar Examination, an examinee must pass both the substantive examination (the first two days of the examination) and the professional responsibility examination (the last day). Each portion of the examination is graded separately

Each question is worth 10 points. Examinees must average 7 points per question.

Examinees need 126 points in the substantive portion and 42 points from the ethics portion.

GENERAL BAR EXAM INFORMATION

Contact Information

Washington State Bar Association
1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 600
Seattle, WA 98101-2539
(206) 443-9722

http://www.wsba.org/

Bar Exam Dates & Locations

Substantive: February 17 - 18, 2009

Professional Responsibility: February 19, 2009

Substantive:
July 28 – 29, 2009

Professional Responsibility
July 30, 2009

Bellevue, Washington

 
WA Bar Review Snapshot

Format— In two and a half days, applicants are required to answer 24 essay questions. The substantive portion is given on the first two days and the Professional Responsibility portion is given on the morning of the third.

The Substantive Portion is given over two days, with three sessions of two hours and 15 minutes. Every session has three printed questions. Each question has 64 lines for the answer. Each response is confined to the lined space provided for that question. Laptop users are allowed a maximum of 4,963 characters for each essay answer. Three sheets of scratch paper are provided for each session.

The Professional Responsibility Portion is a single session of two hours and 15 minutes, given on the third day of the examination. There are six questions, each with 29 lines for the response. Laptop users are allowed a maximum of 2,349 characters. Again, three sheets of scratch paper are provided.

The bar examination does not include or require the MBE or MPRE.
Dates and Locations
Substantive: February 17 - 18, 2009; Professional Responsibility: February 19, 2009; Substantive: July 28 – 29, 2009; Professional Responsibility July 30, 2009; Bellevue, Washington