Connecticut Bar Examining Committee

UBE Transfer General Information

About Admission by UBE Score Transfer

Connecticut began administering the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) in February 2017. UBE jurisdictions administer the same MPT, MEE, and MBE components and score these components consistently. The Connecticut Bar Examining Committee will accept a UBE score earned in any UBE jurisdiction if the scaled total score is at least 266 and was attained on a UBE administered within five years preceding the date the application to Connecticut is properly submitted. Applicants with a pending application to take the UBE in a jurisdiction other than Connecticut (concurrent applicants) must transfer the UBE score within the time period provided in Article III-1(B) of the CBEC Regulations.

To transfer your certified UBE score to Connecticut you must request an official UBE score transcript from NCBE and pay a separate fee to NCBE. Instructions for submitting a request can be found on the UBE page on NCBE's website.

Applicants for admission by transferred UBE score must satisfy all requirements for admission within one year after the date of properly submitting an application. See Art. IX. There is no refund of the application fee, even if you do not meet the requirements for admission or withdraw your application.

Filing Fee

The non-refundable fee for admission by transferred UBE score is $750.00

J.D. Requirements

To be eligible for admission by transferred UBE score in Connecticut you must have a Juris Doctor or equivalent law degree from an ABA or Committee approved law school (Art. II-2); or a Committee approved foreign legal education and LL.M. degree (Art. II-3).

MPRE/Professional Responsibility Course

The Professional Responsibility requirement must be satisfied within four years prior to the date you file your application or within one year after the date you file your application, in either of two ways (see Article IV):

• by passing the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) with a scaled score of at least 80; or
• by obtaining a grade of "C" or better in a course on Professional Responsibility at an approved law school (CLE courses are NOT acceptable).

The MPRE is developed and administered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). Applicants must request that NCBE report their MPRE score directly to Connecticut. Score reports submitted by applicants are not acceptable. Registration and additional information can be found online on NCBE's MPRE page.

Concurrent Applications

A concurrent application is one filed by an applicant who has a pending application to take the UBE in a jurisdiction other than Connecticut, but who has not yet received the results of that examination. Applications for admission by transferred UBE score may be filed in Connecticut any time after an application to sit for the UBE in another jurisdiction has been filed with that jurisdiction.

UBE scores for such concurrent applications must be transferred to the Committee no later than December 31st for a July exam, and no later than June 30th for a February exam. Failure to transfer a qualifying score by the deadline will result in the application being deemed withdrawn. Should your application be deemed withdrawn and you continue to seek admission in Connecticut, you will be required to file a new application and filing fee. Before submitting a concurrent application, applicants must weigh the risks of filing an application prior to receiving a qualifying UBE score. As there are no exceptions or extensions available with respect to the deadline to receive a qualifying UBE score, applicants who are considering filing a concurrent application are advised to contact the administrative office with any questions they may have prior to filing such an application.

All UBE score transfer requests must be made through the NCBE. To ensure that a UBE score is received by the deadline, applicants should submit their UBE score transfer request to NCBE as soon as possible after taking the exam. Instructions for submitting a request can be found on the UBE page on NCBE's web site.

October 2020 Remote Bar Examination

The Connecticut Bar Examining Committee entered into reciprocity agreements with fourteen other jurisdictions that administered the same October 2020 remote bar examination. This examination was not the UBE and examinees did not earn UBE scores. Applicants may transfer a score earned on the October 2020 remote bar examination from a reciprocal jurisdiction to Connecticut for admission in Connecticut. The time limit on these scores, the application process and filing fee are the same as a typical application by transferred UBE score for purposes of admission in Connecticut. October 2020 remote bar examination scores are not transferred by the NCBE. Applicants must request that their score be transferred to Connecticut by the jurisdiction that issued the score.

Character and Fitness

Completing the application for admission is only one step in the admission process and does not automatically entitle the applicant to practice law in Connecticut. The Connecticut Bar Examining Committee begins the review of an applicant's character and fitness immediately upon the filing of the application for admission to the bar and will conduct an extensive background check for all applicants. However, the Committee will usually conduct a hearing, if necessary, only after the applicant's file is complete. An applicant whose file presents complex or unresolved issues of character and/or fitness will not be admitted until such issues have been resolved to the Committee's satisfaction. On occasion, disclosures in an applicant's file will necessitate review of medical documentation. Protocol followed by the Committee in such cases. See Article VI of the CBEC Regulations for more information.

Credit Inquiry

As a part of the routine background investigation into each applicant's character and fitness to practice law, our office will pull a credit profile from TransUnion. If there are negative items found on the credit report, the applicant will receive a letter along with the pertinent portions of the report with the relevant items highlighted. Applicants who receive such a letter are expected to address each negative item.

Proof of Citizenship or Lawful Residence

CT Practice Book § 2-8(1) requires that an applicant for admission to the Connecticut bar must satisfy the Committee that the applicant is a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully residing in the United States, which shall include an individual authorized to work lawfully in the United States.