Bar Registration Summary and Deadlines
The Supreme Court of Ohio has established two filing requirements for students wishing to take the Ohio Bar Exam.
The student must file an "Application to Register as a Candidate for Admission to the Practice of Law" (also known as the 1st Bar Packet). Prior to sitting for the actual bar exam, the student must file an "Application to Take the Bar Examination" (also known as the 2nd Bar Packet.) Following are the deadline dates for filing this information with the Supreme Court. Both bar packets are extensive in nature and may take a great deal of time and investigation to complete. A student should give himself or herself plenty of time to collect the information requested and to complete the forms.
Timely Filing Of Application To Register As A Candidate for Admission to the Practice of Law
The deadline for a timely filing of the "Application to Register as a Candidate for Admission to the Practice of Law" is November 15 of the student's second year of law school. Failure to file by this deadline will result in the imposition of significant nonrefundable late fees.
The "Application to Register as a Candidate for Admission to the Practice of Law" (1st Bar Packet) may be downloaded from the Supreme Court of Ohio website (The Court no longer provides printed forms):
http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/AttySvcs/admissions/default.asp
Late Filing Of Applications To Register As A Candidate for Admission to the Practice of Law
A student who fails to file the "Application to Register as a Candidate for Admission to the Practice of Law" by November 15 in his or her second year of law school may file a late application. The late registration deadline depends on whether the student is taking the February or July bar exam. In any case, the student will pay significant nonrefundable late fees.
From the Supreme Court of Ohio Rules Governing the Bar:
"An applicant may not apply to take the February Ohio bar examination unless the applicant has filed a complete Application to Register as a Candidate for Admission to the Practice of Law by the fifteenth day of August immediately preceding the February examination. An applicant may not apply to take the July Ohio bar examination unless the applicant has filed a complete Application to Register as a Candidate for Admission to the Practice of Law by the fifteenth day of January immediately preceding the July examination."
Timely Filing Of Application To Take the Bar Examination
The deadline for timely filing of the "Application to Take the Bar Examination" (2nd Bar Packet) depends on whether the student is taking the February or July Bar Exam. These dates are absolute deadlines. A student missing one of these deadlines will not be permitted to sit for that bar exam, unless she or he, by petitioning the Court, can demonstrate sufficient reasons justifying the late filing.
February Bar Exam The "Application to Take the February Bar Exam" is due at the Supreme Court's office by NOVEMBER 1.
July Bar Exam: The "Application to Take the July Bar Exam" is due at the Supreme Court office by APRIL 1.
The "Application to Take the Bar Examination" (2nd Bar Packet) may be downloaded from the Supreme Court of Ohio website (The Court no longer provides printed forms):
http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/AttySvcs/admissions/examApps/default.asp
IMPORTANT NOTE: Application Forms
There are forms contained in both the application to register and application to take the bar exam that must be completed by the Registrar's Office and signed by the dean. These forms include:
- Certificate of the Dean - (1st Bar Packet) The student is required to deliver to and pick the form up from the Registrar's Office and take it to the Supreme Court of Ohio.
- Law School Character Certificate - (2nd Bar Packet) The student is required to deliver to and pick the form up from the Registrar's Office and take it to the Supreme Court of Ohio.
- Final Law School Certificate - (2nd Bar Packet) If the Final Law School Certificate is completed and submitted to the Registrar's Office at least seven (7) business days in advance of the deadline date, the Registrar's Office will send it to the Supreme Court. If you fail to submit the Final Law School Certificate at least one week in advance of the deadline, it will be your responsibility to deliver it to the Supreme Court.
- Substance Abuse Form - (2nd Bar Packet) The Substance Abuse Form is only to be filled out if you missed the substance abuse class in Professional Responsibility.