M. Bar Admiss. R. 10

(a) General Requirements. Each applicant for admission to the Maine

bar must demonstrate sufficient learning in the law to practice as an attorney in

this State by obtaining a passing grade on the bar examination provided in this

rule. Any individual who completes the application and pays the fees required by

Rule 6 and produces satisfactory evidence of the educational qualifications

required by subdivision (c) of this rule is eligible to take the examination.

(b) Educational Qualifications. Before taking the bar examination, each

applicant shall produce to the Board satisfactory evidence that the applicant.

(1) graduated with a bachelor's degree from a college or university; and

(2) graduated with a juris doctor or a bachelor of laws from a law school

that had received its provisional or final accreditation from the American Bar

Association by the time of the applicant’s graduation; or

(3) graduated from a law school accredited by the United States

jurisdiction in which it is located and has been admitted to practice by

examination in one or more jurisdictions within the United States and has been

in active practice there for at least 3 years; or

(4) graduated from a foreign law school with a legal education that, in the

Board's opinion pursuant to regulations adopted by the Board, is equivalent to

that provided in those law schools accredited by the American Bar Association

and has been admitted to practice in that country or by examination in one or

more jurisdictions within the United States and has been in active practice in a

jurisdiction in which the applicant is licensed for at least 3 years; or

(5) successfully completed two-thirds of the requirements for graduation

from a law school that had received its provisional or final accreditation from

the American Bar Association by the time of the applicant's completion of those

requirements and then within 12 months following such successful completion

pursued the study of law in the law office of an attorney in the active practice of

law in the State of Maine continuously on a full-time basis for at least one year;

provided that the attorney must, in advance, present the proposed course of

study to the Board for its approval and, at its conclusion, certify that the course,

as approved, was completed.

(c) The Bar Examination. The Maine bar examination shall be the

Uniform Bar Examination prepared by the National Conference of Bar

Examiners, which consists of the Multistate Essay Examination, the Multistate

Performance Test(s), and the Multistate Bar Examination.

(1) Administration of the Bar Examination. The Board shall administer the

Maine bar examination twice a year, in February on the last Wednesday and the

preceding Tuesday, and in July on the last Wednesday and the preceding

Tuesday. The hours and places at which the examination is to be administered

shall be announced by the Board in a public notice to be published not later than

April 1 for that year’s July administration and November 1 for the next year’s

February administration. Each applicant shall produce such identification at the

examination as the Board shall require.

(2) Grading. The Board or its designees shall grade and assign raw scores

to the Multistate Essay Examination and Multistate Performance Tests. The

Board shall provide the raw scores to the National Conference of Bar Examiners,

which then scales the raw scores to the Multistate Bar Examination for a

determination of overall scaled score for each applicant.

(3) Passing Score. Prior to the administration of each examination, the

Board shall set the passing scaled score that it determines will demonstrate

sufficient learning in the law to practice as an attorney in this State.

(4) Finality of Scores. An applicant’s score on the Uniform Bar

Examination, as certified by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, is final.

(d) Special Examination Circumstances. Upon appropriate written

request by an applicant in the application, the Board may, in order to provide for

special circumstances such as a physical disability, establish special rules for the

taking of the examination by the applicant and may provide for an oral

examination to supplement the written examination.

(e) Notification of Results. The Board shall complete the grading of the

examinations and notify all applicants of the results by regular mail within 75

days after the final day of an examination. Three days after the results have been

mailed to individual applicants, the Board shall release for general public

distribution and publication a list of successful applicants.

(f) Reexamination.

Any applicant who fails to pass an examination may reapply to take a

subsequent examination upon payment of the same fee then required of an

original applicant.

(g) Extension of Time for Admission to the Bar. Any motion to enlarge

the time for admission to the bar submitted pursuant to 4 M.R.S. § 805-A(3) shall

be filed with the Executive Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court prior to the

expiration of the one-year deadline established by the statute. The applicant

shall serve a copy of the motion upon the Board by electronic mail and by regular

mail sent on or before the date of filing. Any response by the Board shall be filed

within 14 days after the applicant’s filing of the motion to enlarge.