Individuals who seek admission to the Maryland bar by taking the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) in Maryland, transferring a Qualifying UBE Score to Maryland, or petitioning for admission without examination as an experienced out-of-state attorney will be required to complete the “Maryland Law Component,” pursuant to Maryland Rule 19-212 (effective March 1, 2019) and Board Rule 4 (effective March 1, 2019). The applicable Rule and Board Rule may be reviewed HERE.
THERE IS NO SPECIFIC DEADLINE TO COMPLETE THE MARYLAND LAW COMPONENT (MLC). However, no applicant or petitioner can be cleared for admission prior to completing the MLC. The following are guidelines for appropriate completion timelines based on the type of admission sought:
- UBE in Maryland
- The MLC does not have to be completed prior to taking the UBE.
- For applicants taking a July UBE in Maryland, in order to maximize the chances of being cleared for November bar admission ceremonies, the MLC should be completed by mid-October when July bar exam results are released.
- For applicants taking a February UBE in Maryland, in order to maximize the chances of being cleared for May bar admission ceremonies, the MLC should be completed by mid-April when February bar exam results are released.
- For all UBE in Maryland applicants, the MLC must be completed not later than 2 years after the date of the Notice of Examination Results stating that the applicant has passed the UBE, whenever that might be.
- Failure to complete the MLC is not grounds for extension of the 2-year deadline under Maryland Rule 19-214.
- UBE Transfer and Admission Without Examination (OSA)
- For applicants proceeding by UBE Transfer and petitioners proceeding by Admission Without Examination (OSA), the MLC should be completed as soon as possible after filing the Notice of Intent (UBE Transfer) or Petition (OSA).
- SBLE will not request the applicant/petitioner’s final Affirmation before the MLC is complete.
- For all UBE Transfer applicants and OSA petitioners, the MLC must be completed not later than 2 years after the date of filing the Notice or Petition, whenever that might be.
- Failure to complete the MLC is not grounds for extension of the 2-year deadline under Maryland Rule 19-214.
- For applicants proceeding by UBE Transfer and petitioners proceeding by Admission Without Examination (OSA), the MLC should be completed as soon as possible after filing the Notice of Intent (UBE Transfer) or Petition (OSA).
The purpose of the Maryland Law Component is to assure that newly admitted attorneys are familiar with key distinctions of Maryland law and procedure not tested in the components of the UBE and with core requirements for practicing law in Maryland, the violation of which may result in their authority to practice law being suspended.
The Maryland Law Component consists of two parts. The first part is a set of written outlines covering information regarding: substantive distinctions of Maryland law and procedure in subject areas to be designated by Board Rule; reporting requirements established by the Maryland Rules; obligations to the Client Protection Fund and Disciplinary Fund established by the Maryland Rules or by statute; and, the Maryland Rules governing attorney trust accounts and the handling of client funds and papers. The subject areas on which substantive Maryland distinctions will be covered are: criminal law; criminal procedure; evidence; family law; Maryland civil procedure; professional responsibility, including the Maryland Attorneys Rules of Professional Conduct; torts; and trusts and estates.
The second part of the Maryland Law Component is a timed set of confirmatory questions through which each person seeking admission to the Maryland Bar will demonstrate their familiarity with the written outline materials. The online portion of the MLC (“the MLC Questions”) consists of a 50 -question, multiple-choice, open-book exercise to confirm your familiarity with the material covered in the MLC Outlines. All the multiple-choice questions are answerable from the MLC Subject Matter Outlines. Access to resources other than the MLC Subject Matter Outlines is not necessary to correctly answer the multiple-choice questions. The confirmatory questions will be delivered through an online system hosted by SBLE’s vendor.
- On the Monday (or the next business day after a Monday court holiday) following the date on which an individual files a Notice to Take the UBE in Maryland pursuant to Rule 19-206 or a Notice to Transfer a Qualifying UBE Score to Maryland pursuant to Rule 19-207 or a Petition for Admission without Examination pursuant to Rule 19-216, SBLE will provide the individual with access to the vendor system via email sent to the individuals email address on file with SBLE. (Please note: “Filed” means received in SBLE’s offices and marked filed by SBLE staff in the eBar system. Where a Notice of Intent or Petition is marked “filed” on a Monday, the individual will receive MLC access the following Monday.)
- The sender’s email address for the MLC Welcome email is [email protected]. Users should check their spam/junk folders for the Welcome email before contacting SBLE about non-delivery.
- The Welcome email will contain the applicant/petitioner’s username, which is the individual’s NCBE number, and a temporary password to access the system.
- Upon entering the temporary password, the applicant will be prompted to create a permanent password and log in using their NCBE number and that new password.
- After logging in for the first time, the applicant is required to download the MLC Outlines through a link on the screen.
- The MLC Outlines link in the online system will always connect users to the most up-to-date version of the MLC outlines.
- Answers to the MLC Questions will always be drawn from to the most up-to-date version of the MLC outlines, linked through the online system.
- To successfully complete the MLC Questions, the individual must answer at least 40 of the 50 available questions correctly in one 90-minute session. Individuals are permitted to attempt the MLC Questions multiple times to achieve a qualifying score.
- Each time the individual attempts the MLC Questions, he or she will be required to certify, by checking a box on the screen, his or her identity and status as an applicant or petitioner for admission to the Maryland bar, and that the individual has neither given to nor received from any other person any aid or assistance in completing the MLC Questions.
- You will have 90 minutes to complete the MLC Questions. There is a countdown timer at the bottom of the screen. The time will begin as soon as you click the “Begin” or “Retake MLC Questions” button. If you complete all 50 questions before the 90 -minute timer expires, you may click the “Submit and Score” button to end the session and receive your score. If the timer expires before you complete all 50 questions, the MLC system will automatically submit and score your responses.
- To fulfill the MLC requirement for admission, the individual must correctly answer a minimum of 40 questions in a single 90 -minute attempt. The individual is NOT required to answer all 50 questions to achieve a qualifying score, so long as at least 40 questions are correctly answered in 90 minutes. (Please note, however, that users may not submit and score their answers while time remains on the clock unless they have answered all 50 questions.)
- The individual may attempt the MLC Questions as many times as needed to achieve a qualifying score of at least 40 correct answers. Following an unsuccessful attempt, the individual may immediately begin a new attempt. Users will receive a new set of 50 MLC Questions for each attempt.
- Once the individual achieves a qualifying score on the MLC Questions, the qualifying score will be automatically reported to the Maryland State Board of Law Examiners. Users who are successful will receive a confirmation email and will be given the option of printing a Certificate of Successful Completion. Users should keep a copy of the confirmation email and Certificate for their records, but should not send it to the Maryland State Board of Law Examiners unless specifically asked to do so.
- Successful individuals will receive eBar notification of their compliance on the Monday (or the next business day after a Monday holiday) following their successful MLC attempt.