Passed NY Bar. Can't waive into DC. Which bar to take? Forum

[remz]

I passed the NY Bar two years ago. I'm considering moving to DC, but my MBE score (124) is too low to waive in.

I will likely take the DC Bar so I can practice there. Is it a better choice to take the bar of a different state (rather than DC) and then waive in? Perhaps a state that's easier than DC? Any suggestions?

Are there any other options to get in to the DC bar without taking another bar exam or waiting 5 years?

Thanks!

[jarofsoup]

The DC bar is not hard. No one takes it and you have to take it either by handwriting or by typewriter. Take the Maryland Bar Exam. But you would likely want to get that MBE up b/c passing NY seemed like a fluke. Also you have to get a scaled 133 on the MBE to pass the DC bar exam.

[remz]

The DC bar is not hard. No one takes it and you have to take it either by handwriting or by typewriter. Take the Maryland Bar Exam. But you would likely want to get that MBE up b/c passing NY seemed like a fluke. Also you have to get a scaled 133 on the MBE to pass the DC bar exam.

Is the Maryland bar known to be easy?

Yeah I would have to get my MBE score up. By that time though I will be have been out of law school for 3 years. I passed NY with a 124 MBE because I has stellar essays I assume.

[underthirty]

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[moshid]

How does waiving into the D.C. bar actually work? That is, do I do anything before I take the NY bar or do I take the NY bar and then send forms requesting some sort of transfer?

[Desert Fox]

Take DC directly if you are looking to move. The waive in process takes like 8+ months if everything goes correctly. I have two paperwork mishaps (one definitely on their end, one on me) and its been 13 months and I have no idea when I'll get in. That is 8-14 months AFTER you get admitted in the second bar state, which could take a while itself. You could honestly be talking about fall/winter 2016-17 if you go the waive in route. Plus you'll have to pay for the bar and membership of another state. The DC waive in process is like 1000+ itself.

Since you still need to get a 133 on the MBE to waive in, and you couldn't last time, I'm not sure why you'd risk it again.

[remz]

Take DC directly if you are looking to move. The waive in process takes like 8+ months if everything goes correctly. I have two paperwork mishaps (one definitely on their end, one on me) and its been 13 months and I have no idea when I'll get in. That is 8-14 months AFTER you get admitted in the second bar state, which could take a while itself. You could honestly be talking about fall/winter 2016-17 if you go the waive in route. Plus you'll have to pay for the bar and membership of another state. The DC waive in process is like 1000+ itself.

Since you still need to get a 133 on the MBE to waive in, and you couldn't last time, I'm not sure why you'd risk it again.

Thanks for the reply. However, I need to get a 133 on the DC bar also, correct? Isn't that a requirement? If that's the case, I might as well just take any state bar especially since DC has to be done by hand or typewriter apparently.

[lawschoolftw]

Take DC directly if you are looking to move. The waive in process takes like 8+ months if everything goes correctly. I have two paperwork mishaps (one definitely on their end, one on me) and its been 13 months and I have no idea when I'll get in. That is 8-14 months AFTER you get admitted in the second bar state, which could take a while itself. You could honestly be talking about fall/winter 2016-17 if you go the waive in route. Plus you'll have to pay for the bar and membership of another state. The DC waive in process is like 1000+ itself.

Since you still need to get a 133 on the MBE to waive in, and you couldn't last time, I'm not sure why you'd risk it again.

Thanks for the reply. However, I need to get a 133 on the DC bar also, correct? Isn't that a requirement? If that's the case, I might as well just take any state bar especially since DC has to be done by hand or typewriter apparently.

I think you're missing the bigger problem stated in the earlier post--it will take forever to get admitted to DC by taking another state bar and then trying to waive in. I don't know anyone whose gotten admitted in less than a year.

[jarofsoup]

Most employers don't require you to be admitted only able to waive in. You can also work for the Fed without being admitted to DC.

I think the most valuable bar for the region VA. But VA is a hard jurisdiction.

[ariella42]

Honestly, if you really want to get another state rather than just taking DC's bar, I'd do one of the neighboring states so you have more opportunities to practice nearby. Having a license in WA isn't going to do you much good while you're living in DC unless you're actually doing legal work for clients across the country. Personally, if I were to go through the trouble, time, and expense of another bar exam without my employer paying for it (and I'm about to go for a third state, but only because I'm getting a raise if I pass), I'd just go with the jurisdiction I intended to practice in. Besides the time factor of applying to take another bar exam, taking it, waiting on results, and THEN applying to waive in to DC, you'll also be paying a good bit of money both for the exam and the waiver into DC, plus bar dues, CLEs, etc.

[TheFutureLawyer]

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