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Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners
SJC Clerk's Office for the County of Suffolk
Massachusetts Court System

Seeking Admission to the Bar in Massachusetts

To become a licensed attorney in Massachusetts by Examination or by Motion, you must meet the requirements and the qualifications established by the Supreme Judicial Court.

To file a Petition for Admission to the Massachusetts bar by Examination or Motion, you must meet the requirements and qualifications established by the Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:O1, in tandem with the Rules of the Board of Bar Examiners.

A Petition for Admission to the Massachusetts bar by Examination or by Motion must be filed with the Supreme Judicial Court for The County of Suffolk. Completed Petitions including all filing requirements will be referred to the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) to determine whether you have the qualifications and acquirements required for admission, and whether you embody "...that degree of honesty, integrity, and discretion that the public and members of the bench and bar have the right to demand of a lawyer.”

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Top tasks

Learn about the Admission by Examination in Massachusetts  Learn about Admission by Motion in Massachusetts  

All other tasks

Petition for Admission by Transfer of UBE Score in Massachusetts  Petition for Admission by Examination to the Massachusetts bar (first time)  Petition for Admission by Motion to the Massachusetts bar  Petition for Admission to the Massachusetts bar by Examination (Re-Application)  About the Massachusetts Law Component  Apply for Nonstandard Testing Accommodations for the bar exam in Massachusetts 

What you need to know

Forms and Information relating to Bar Admission in Massachusetts  About the Uniform Bar Examination in Massachusetts  Foreign Educated Attorneys  Learn about Character and Fitness for the Massachusetts Bar  Learn about Nonstandard Testing Accommodations  Letters of Recommendation Guidelines 
See all 12 of Seeking Admission to the Bar in Massachusetts  

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Additional Resources

Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:01: Attorneys
Rules of the Board of Bar Examiners
Office of the Clerk for The County of Suffolk
Board of Bar Examiners
Forms and information relating to bar admission in Massachusetts
Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers
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