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Waiving into DC from Virginia.

Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 1:57 pm
by lawstudent9
Hello all,

Question: Having passed the Virginia Bar exam, will my MBE score necessarily qualify me to waive into DC.
i. (Related): Is there a way to pass the Virginia bar and not qualify for DC

Facts:
- passed Virginia Bar Exam (awaiting swearing in)
- to pass Virginia, you must generally score a MBE of 140 (minimum)
- DC bar requires a 133

Virginia does not release MBE scores, but will tell you "yes" or "no" for 30 dollars (i find this quite ridiculous). Should I even bother sending 30 dollars in to see receive a yes/no, or should I just plow ahead (takes 6ish months for DC to approve, according to people I work with).

Thank you,
person

Re: Waiving into DC from Virginia.

Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 3:51 pm
by NICIAS
Dear person,

There is a way. Virginia does not have a minimum passing score on either portion of the exam (http://barexam.virginia.gov/faqall.html). The 140 score is the minimum passing score for the weighted average of both scaled portions of the exam. For example, if you get 10s on all the essays and get a 120 on the MBE, you can pass Virginia, but you will not be able to waive into DC. If you felt relatively weak on the MBE portion, it is probably a good idea to pay for the "yes" or "no" so you can plan accordingly.

Sincerely,
another person