UBE Jurisdiction with Fastest Admission Process? Forum

[UMLawStudent0018]

Does anyone know which UBE jurisdictions process score transfer applications the fastest?

I passed the bar exam in July 2018 and I applied for admission to the DC Bar by transferred UBE score in March 2019. I recently inquired about the status of my bar application and was advised that it is currently taking 10-12 months to process applications. NCBE has completed my character and fitness investigation, so I am only waiting for the Committee on Admissions to review and certify my application. But again, that likely won’t happen for another 6+ months. I was told that the delay is the result of the government shutdown (the office that processes applications was closed for 5 weeks in December/January). This is a major problem because my job requires me to be licensed by this November. If I cannot get licensed within the next 3 months, I will lose my job. Please help!

[cavalier1138]

Where did you pass the bar?

[sleeplessindc]

I've never seen any kind of a comparative analysis comparing UBE admissions process time for each jurisdiction. I have, however, seen anecdotal discussions on TLS about the relatively short waits for New Jersey http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=278794; Arizona http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=300329; and Washington http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=287770. You can probably find more examples by doing your own search of this board.

If you are desperate and willing to shell out the money, logistical realities notwithstanding, you could apply for admissions in multiple states at the same time.

[Kalani111]

In AZ it generally takes 4 to 6 months to clear if you have no glaring problems. This puts you over your limit. Have you tried begging your boss for a few extra months?

[goodkarma56]

Where did you pass the bar?

I second this question and have another question for the OP.

OP, if you're already licensed somewhere else and need to get admitted to the DC Bar because of your job, how will getting admitted to different UBE jurisdiction be helpful to you?

[UMLawStudent0018]

Where did you pass the bar?

I second this question and have another question for the OP.

OP, if you're already licensed somewhere else and need to get admitted to the DC Bar because of your job, how will getting admitted to different UBE jurisdiction be helpful to you?

I passed the UBE in New York in July 2018. I am not yet licensed in any jurisdiction. However, with my score, I should be eligible for admission in any of the UBE jurisdictions.

I work for the federal government, so it does not matter where I am licensed. I just need to be admitted somewhere by the middle of November.

[goodkarma56]

I passed the UBE in New York in July 2018. I am not yet licensed in any jurisdiction. However, with my score, I should be eligible for admission in any of the UBE jurisdictions.

I work for the federal government, so it does not matter where I am licensed. I just need to be admitted somewhere by the middle of November.

OK, gotcha. In that case, and I'm not trying to be snarky here, I reckon that completing the admission process for the New York Bar (whatever steps that would entail) would make the most sense for you since you've already passed the New York bar exam. Surely that would be the quickest approach, right?

[UMLawStudent0018]

I passed the UBE in New York in July 2018. I am not yet licensed in any jurisdiction. However, with my score, I should be eligible for admission in any of the UBE jurisdictions.

I work for the federal government, so it does not matter where I am licensed. I just need to be admitted somewhere by the middle of November.

OK, gotcha. In that case, and I'm not trying to be snarky here, I reckon that completing the admission process for the New York Bar (whatever steps that would entail) would make the most sense for you since you've already passed the New York bar exam. Surely that would be the quickest approach, right?

Thanks for your response. That very well may be the case. I talked to New York yesterday; they are currently processing applications that were submitted in April and scheduling swearing-in dates for September and October. Based on that timeline, the process takes 5-6 months.

[goodkarma56]

I passed the UBE in New York in July 2018. I am not yet licensed in any jurisdiction. However, with my score, I should be eligible for admission in any of the UBE jurisdictions.

I work for the federal government, so it does not matter where I am licensed. I just need to be admitted somewhere by the middle of November.

OK, gotcha. In that case, and I'm not trying to be snarky here, I reckon that completing the admission process for the New York Bar (whatever steps that would entail) would make the most sense for you since you've already passed the New York bar exam. Surely that would be the quickest approach, right?

Thanks for your response. That very well may be the case. I talked to New York yesterday; they are currently processing applications that were submitted in April and scheduling swearing-in dates for September and October. Based on that timeline, the process takes 5-6 months.

You're welcome, OP. FWIW, I'm admitted in two jurisdictions (TX and CT, both times via non-UBE examination), so I'm not intimately familiar with the whole UBE, UBE score transfer process, etc.

That said, I really do believe, based on what you've shared, that completing the admission process in New York is the most prudent approach for you to take. If need be, have a conversation with your boss about your situation and candidly tell him/her that you've already passed the New York bar exam and that you intend to complete the admission process for the New York Bar as fast as humanly possible, but that you might need a bit of an extension on the licensure requirement timeline. Most employers are reasonable about this kind of thing, especially since you're already working there (they hired you after all, so they must really like you!) and you've already accomplished the hardest task (i.e., taking and passing a bar exam).

Additionally, contact the New York Bar and get the ball rolling on your remaining admission tasks, whatever they may be. Who knows, they might just surprise you and get you all squared away prior to your job's deadline for licensure.

[kittychandler]

OP, I was in a similar situation. I took the Arizona UBE and the process was taking forever (turned out there was a paperwork SNAFU, but expect at least 5 months in AZ). I ended up getting licensed in Washington. It only took about a month to gain admission, and the process was smooth and easy. Good luck!

[Kalani111]

Kitty, you may have been an outlier. That would be one hell of a white knuckle experience for OP. I guess it may be worth the risk if termination is certain.

[Cop2lawyerNYC]

NJ is fairly quick. I took NY J ‘18 and filled-out the NJ application around November. Got a request for more documents but I was busy so I sat on that request for 3 weeks before sending it in. Got my admission letter around December.

[b290]

I passed the UBE in New York in July 2018. I am not yet licensed in any jurisdiction. However, with my score, I should be eligible for admission in any of the UBE jurisdictions.

I work for the federal government, so it does not matter where I am licensed. I just need to be admitted somewhere by the middle of November.

New York is your best bet as NY already has your info. People forget that when you do a UBE transfer, the timeline depends on the state. Some states would let the NCBE do the processing AND do their own. Some states (like Minnesota) just take the scores and do it themselves. Either way, it's an extra step.

I'll add my "horror story" I did a UBE transfer and the NCBE alone took 7 months. My state then took another several months to process it. Now my bad luck (w/ when my application coinciding with bar exams) combined with my history, make it a clear outlier. But if you can minimize/avoid the extra step, you'll save yourself a lot of stress.

Based on your preferred timeline, you'll need to have everything ready to go now - and not have a complicated work (and/or residence) history. If you don't, mid-November is pretty much unattainable at this point. Also, you're going to have to make sure that there are no issues, necessitating regular (weekly) checkups, to quickly eliminate delays.

My $.02