Ohio has adopted the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) for law school graduates.

Ohio has adopted the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) for law school graduates.

The next time law grads sit for the test that can permit them to practice law in Ohio they will be trying to master the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE).

This will be the first use of the UBE in the state. The next Ohio Bar Exam is scheduled for Sept. 9-10.

The change is the result of the Ohio Supreme Court’s adoption of a rule last month. A public comment period was held beginning in November 2019, and UBE adoption was recommended unanimously by a 16-member task force appointed by Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor.

“The UBE addresses the demand for lawyer mobility across jurisdictions in America today, and uniform licensing helps increase efficiency through the sharing of resources and expertise,” Chief Justice O’Connor said.

The UBE has been adopted in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Each exam – offered on common dates several times a year – is prepared by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, based in Madison, Wis. The national Conference of Chief Justices and the American Bar Association have advocated that states adopt the UBE.

The UBE is a two-day test comprised of three components.  Ohio has been using two of the three parts of the UBE – the Multistate Bar Exam and the Multistate Performance Test. Ohio will now add the Multistate Essay Exam in place of the Ohio essay questions.

However, in order to be admitted to the state bar, those who pass the UBE also must pass the Ohio Law Component prepared by the Ohio Board of Bar Examiners. The board intends for the format of the Ohio Law Component to be online, open book and multiple choice.

UBE test takers in Ohio will be able to transfer their scores to other UBE states. Those who pass the UBE in other states will be permitted to transfer their scores to Ohio without sitting for another bar exam, provided they earn Ohio’s passing score of 270.

Ohio will recognize acceptable UBE scores from other UBE states for five years. After that period, an attorney from another state seeking to practice in Ohio would have to earn another passing score or be approved for “admission without examination” by the Supreme Court.