with bar examination
examination required for all other applicants.

examination components:
1. academic: mbe and ten state essays. note: prior mbe scores are not accepted for transfer purposes.
2. ethics: mpre scaled score of 85 is transferable from any jurisdiction.
beginning with the february 2004 bar examination, applicants will be required to pass the mpre before filing an application to sit for the bar examination.

examination dates: february; july. deadline: 75 days prior to date of examination.

application/admission fees: $395.00


other state bar requirements:

1. graduate of a law school approved by the aba at the time of graduation or authorized by massachusetts statute.

2. character check by the massachusetts board of bar examiners.

3. required annual fees: $165.00 (1-5 years after admission); $220.00 (5-50 years after admission); $20.00 (more than 50 years after admission).


regulation of in-house counsel:

massachusetts bar admission rules do not address in-house counsel.


bar association status:

[ ] mandatory

[x] voluntary
annual dues: annual dues vary depending on date of admission, profession, and part-time practice.


specialty certification:

massachusetts does not have a certification plan in place, and does not recognize aba-approved programs. however, massachusetts attorneys may hold themselves out as specialists and state their specialties (“specialize in”), certifications (“certified in”), fields of concentration (“concentrate in”), or expertise (“expertise in”), as long as their statements name the certifying entity and include a disclaimer as follows: "(name of certifying organization) is a private organization whose standards for certification are not regulated by the commonwealth of massachusetts."