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Do I need to take two bar exams?

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 11:07 pm
by onionz
Seeking TLS wisdom, beyond what I've found in search so far.

Job at BigLaw in NYC after graduation. I eventually want to go to MA, which looks like allows admission to the bar on motion after 5 years of work. But I haven't figured out from Googling if that's a reasonable avenue or not. I'd prefer not to take two bar exams this summer, and I feel like it might signal weird things to my firm if I get barred in a state they don't have an office in (though I guess they don't have to know?). Just trying to figure out from someone who has made the move if I need to be thinking about this or not.

Thanks!

Re: Do I need to take two bar exams?

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 11:35 pm
by Desert Fox
I don't think it signals anything weird, but can you even take NY and MA in the same test period?

Re: Do I need to take two bar exams?

Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 12:24 am
by ilovetheatre
Desert Fox wrote:I don't think it signals anything weird, but can you even take NY and MA in the same test period?
You can. NY is Tues/Wed and MA is Wed/Thurs. Take the first two days in NY, the third day in MA, and transfer to MBE score to MA.
onionz wrote:Seeking TLS wisdom, beyond what I've found in search so far.

Job at BigLaw in NYC after graduation. I eventually want to go to MA, which looks like allows admission to the bar on motion after 5 years of work. But I haven't figured out from Googling if that's a reasonable avenue or not. I'd prefer not to take two bar exams this summer, and I feel like it might signal weird things to my firm if I get barred in a state they don't have an office in (though I guess they don't have to know?). Just trying to figure out from someone who has made the move if I need to be thinking about this or not.

Thanks!
MA, often called Passachusetts, is fairly easy to pass. Generally, you study for NY and then wing MA. If you do well enough on the MBE, you could score in the bottom 1% in MA and still pass. My friends and I were a bit stressed because we had not even glanced at MA law since it was more important we pass in our other states, but we all passed both on the first try.