Examinations and Requirements for the Bar

Bar Examination In North Carolina

Regarding the bar examination in North Carolina, the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners provides the following information about the subjects tested:

The examination may deal with the following subjects: business associations (including agency, corporations and partnerships); civil procedure; constitutional law; contracts; criminal law and procedure; evidence; family law; legal ethics; real property; security transactions (including The Uniform Commercial Code); taxation; torts; trusts; wills; decedents' estates and equity.

North Carolina rules do not require that bar applicants have taken in law school all the subjects tested on the exam. Some students choose not to take some listed subjects because they prefer to take other courses and to prepare for the bar exam by more intensive bar review study. Ultimately, it is an individual decision for each student intending to take the North Carolina Bar Exam whether to take all bar-related courses.

Bar Examination In Other States

Bar examinations in other states may cover additional or different subjects. Some state bars also require that students have actually taken particular courses for a set number of credit hours in order to sit for the bar exam. Students should contact the board of bar examiners in the state in which they plan to sit for the bar to determine applicable requirements. Reference sources containing the addresses of state bar examiners are available from the School of Law's Registrar's Office.