Crystal wanted to practice law in the state of New York; in order to do so, she had to pass the New York Bar Examination first.
bar examination
Definition
A written examination that a person must pass in order to obtain a license to practice law. Although every state administers its own version of the bar examination, most exams consist of the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) (a national standardized multiple choice test) and an essay portion testing federal and that state’s laws. Many state bar examinations also contain a performance test aimed at assessing lawyering skills.
Definition from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary
An examination for individuals who want a license to practice law. Typically, bar exams are multiday tests of endurance and knowledge, covering a wide range of legal topics. Once licensed in a particular state, an attorney can practice law in that state and in federal courts in that state. Some states require a special bar examination for attorneys who have already passed the bar in other states, while others recognize out-of-state attorneys if they have established local residence. Lawyers from one state may occasionally practice in another with the consent of the court alone.
Definition provided by Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary.
August 19, 2010, 5:11 pm
“We limit our decision in this case to situations where, unbeknown to the defendant, his representative was not authorized to practice law in any state, and the lack of such authorization stemmed from failure to seek it or from its denial for a reason going to legal ability, such as failure to pass a bar examination, or want of moral character….” J. Friendly, Solina v. United States., 709 F.2d 160, 167 (2nd Cir. 1983).
