minnesota

bar admission administrative agency:
 
director
minnesota state board of law examiners
galtier plaza
380 jackson street, suite 201
st. paul, mn 55101
tel: 651/297-1857
fax: 651/297-1196
website: http://www.ble.state.mn.us/
website: http://www.blc.state.mn.us/
website: http://www.mnbar.org/
 
 
bar admission options:
 
without bar examination
1(a). attorney applicants - eligibility by practice: an applicant who has been licensed to practice in the highest court of another u.s. jurisdiction and has actively engaged in the practice of law in that jurisdiction for at least five of the seven years immediately preceding the application. "practice of law" may include:
(1) a sole practitioner or as a member of a law firm, professional corporation or association;
(2) a judge in a court of record;
(3) a lawyer for any local or state governmental entity;
(4) house counsel for a corporation, agency, association or trust department;
(5) a lawyer with the federal government or a federal governmental agency including service as a member of the judge advocate general's department or a u.s. military branch; and/or
(6) a professor teaching full-time in an approved law school.
1(b). attorney applicants - eligibility by test score: applicant must have received a scaled score of 145 or higher on the mbe taken as a part of and at the same time as the essay or other part of a written bar examination given by another u.s. jurisdiction, was successful on that bar examination and admitted into that jurisdiction. mbe scores may be transferable for up to 24 months of the date of the examination.
2. legal services exception: a lawyer licensed in another jurisdiction may obtain a temporary license for no more than 15 months to accept employment in minnesota with a legal services program. time in the practice of law under this temporary license may be counted toward the applicant's eligibility for admission without examination.
3. house counsel license : a lawyer licensed in another jurisdiction who has practiced law for at least three of the previous five years, and who intends to practice in minnesota for more than 12 months may apply for a house counsel license upon submission of evidence of (1)compliance with eligibility and other requirements of rules 9; and (2) a scaled score of 85 or higher on the mpre. a house counsel license authorizes the holder to practice solely for a single corporation (or its subsidiaries), association, business or governmental entity whose lawful business consists of activities other than the practice of law or the provision of legal services. a temporary house counsel license is also available for lawyers who will be working in minnesota for less than 12 months.
 
application deadline: not applicable.
 
application/admission fees:
$75.00 (legal services exception); $750.00 (house counsel license); $500.00 (temporary house counsel license); $750.00 (all other attorney applicants).
 
with bar examination
examination required for all other applicants.
 
examination components:
1. academic: mbe, six state essays, and one mpt question.
2. ethics: mpre scaled score of 85 is transferable from any jurisdiction. an applicant may file an application without having taken the mpre; however, within 12 months after filing the application, the applicant must submit a score report showing a scaled score of 85 or higher on the mpre.
 
examination dates:
february (deadline: october 15 of the preceding year)
july (deadline: march 15)
 
late application with late fees will be accepted until december 1 for the february examination and until may 1 for the july examination.
 
application/admission fees:
$400.00 (not previously admitted or admitted in any jurisdiction less than six months); $750.00 (if admitted previously in any jurisdiction six months or more).
 
 
other state bar requirements:
 
1. minimum age: 18
 
2. graduate of a law school provisionally or fully approved by the aba.
 
3. approved character check by the minnesota state board of law examiners.
 
4. prior to admission an applicant must be a resident of minnesota or maintain an office in minnesota or designate the clerk of the appellate courts as agent for the service of process for all purposes.
 
5. required annual fees (effective july 1, 2003): $97.00 (three years or less after admission); $218.00 (more than three years after admission); $107.00 (non-residents and attorneys on active duty with the u.s. armed forces). an attorney who earns less than $25,000 per year can reduce the fee by $25.00.
 
 
regulation of in-house counsel
 
minnesota bar admission rules cover in-house counsel (see without bar examination, in-house counsel above).
 
 
bar association status:
 
[ ] mandatory
 
[x] voluntary
annual dues: annual dues vary depending on date of admission, annual salary, and term of practice. in addition, there are district bar dues based on location of practice or residence.
 
 
specialty certification
 
state rules of professional conduct allow lawyers to state that they are specialists if they are currently certified or approved as a specialist in a field of law by an organization that is approved by the minnesota state board of legal certification. the board has approved programs sponsored by the following certifying entities: the american board of certification, the national board of trial advocacy, the national elder law foundation, and the minnesota state bar association.
 
areas of specialization include:
 
1. business bankruptcy
2. civil trial practice
3. consumer bankruptcy
4. creditors' rights
5. criminal law
6. elder law
7. family law trial advocacy
8. real property