While much of the Delaware State Bar Exam is comprised of the Universal Bar Exam, there are a few aspects that make it unique. First, there is a full-day essay portion of the exam with a heavy emphasis on Delaware-specific law. Second, Delaware offers no reciprocity to attorneys who actively practice law in other states and does not accept transferred exam scores. This means that all persons wishing to practice law in Delaware must first sit the Delaware Bar Exam.
| Exam Dates: | July 27th, 28th, & 29th, 2020* |
| Exam Type: | 3-day Bar Exam |
| Location: | Delaware Law School at Widener University, Wilmington, DE. |
| Application Fee: | $700 |
| On-Motion Application Fee: | N/A |
| Filing Deadline: | April 1st, 2020 |
| Late Filing Deadline: | May 15th, 2020 |
| Late Fee: | $700 |
The next admittance exam for persons wishing to practice law in the state of Delaware will be held in the final week of July. The Delaware Judiciary has announced that the upcoming round of exams may be subject to delay in response to COVID-19. Applicants are encouraged to keep checking the website for updates.
Regardless of history in the legal profession, every applicant to the Delaware Bar Association must sit for the exam. Administered over two and a half days, the Delaware Bar exam combines two multi-state components with an essay section focused on Delaware law.
The 2020 Delaware State Bar exam will take place at the Delaware Law School located on the campus of Widener University at 4601 Concord Pike, Wilmington, Delaware. Directions to the campus can be found here.
The fee for law school graduates applying to the Delaware Bar Exam is $700. Applications received after the initial filing deadline will still be accepted until May 15th with a $700 late fee. Both the application fee and the late fee are $100 higher for applicants who are licensed to practice in another state.
Some of the subjects tested on the multi-state portion of the Delaware Bar Exam are torts, civil procedure, constitutional law and evidence, criminal law, criminal procedure, family law, trusts and estates, contract law, conflict of laws, real property, and business associations.
One of the longest admittance examinations in the United States, the Delaware Bar Exam takes place over three days. The exam combines a standardized national bar exam with an extensive written portion covering Delaware law.
In order to qualify for the Delaware Bar Exam, applicants must have received a scaled 85 or higher on the MPRE.
The essay portion of the Delaware Bar Exam determines 60% of an applicant’s final grade. The remaining 40% of the score reflects the results of the multi-state exam.
Scores and a list of applicants who have passed the July Delaware Bar Exam will be published on the Board of Bar Examiner’s website during the first week of October.
No. Delaware does not allow the transfer of MBE scores from any other jurisdiction.
The Delaware Bar Association does not allow admittance based on reciprocity. This means that all applicants must sit for the Delaware Bar Exam, regardless of their experience practicing law elsewhere.
The State of Delaware Board of Bar Examiners can be reached by telephone at (302) 658-5279 or by mail addressed to:
Delaware State Bar Association
405 N. King Street, Suite 100
Wilmington, DE 19801