All Announcements
July 2025 Administrative Accommodation Request Form
Bar exam applicants seeking an administrative accommodation at the exam must fill out an Administrative Accommodation Request Form.
An administrative accommodation provides courtesy assistance to applicants with certain health-related issues in standard test room environments that follow the standard testing schedule.
Common examples of Administrative Accommodation requests:
● MEDICAL DEVICE - Permission to bring a medical device or support such as lumbar cushion, boot, brace, sling, diabetic supply, glucose monitor, insulin pump, inhaler, epi-pen, etc., into the test room.
● SPECIAL SEATING - due to a medical condition (e.g., near restroom due to late-stage pregnancy) or need for space for a wheelchair, scooter, crutches, or other orthopedic device.
● MEDICATION - Permission to bring over the counter or prescription medication for medical reasons into the testing area. If you plan to bring over the counter or prescription medication to keep in the designated storage area to take over your lunch break, you do not need to request an administrative accommodation.
● BREAST PUMPING - Permission to bring a lactation pump with accessories and cooler with ice packs and to be provided a space to use the pump during restroom or lunch breaks without stop-the-clock breaks.
The Administrative Accommodation Request Form and medical documentation must be received by our office on or before June 15th. As noted on the form, email the completed form and medical documentation to Stephany Shipp at sshipp@ilbaradmissions.org.
Administrative Accommodation Request Form: https://www.ilbaradmissions.org/getpdfform.action?id=1700
APPLICATIONS FOR THE JULY 2025 EXAM IS CLOSED
Intermittent Phone Service Outages
Due to renovations at our offices and upgrades to our phone service, we may experience intermittent phone service outages over the next few weeks. If you would like the fastest response time, it is best to send an email instead of calling our office during this time.
The email addresses of all file analysts can be found here: https://www.ilbaradmissions.org/faq.action#226
Admission by Transferred October 2020 Remote Examination Score
The last day to apply to transfer your October 2020 Remote Examination Score to Illinois is October 6, 2024.
Notice of Temporary and Limited Waiver of Illinois Supreme Court Rule 715(b) for 2022-2024 Examinees
Recently, Board of Admissions staff have identified a situation in which Illinois Supreme Court Rule 715(b) had been applied inconsistently in the past with respect to whether graduates of foreign law schools were required to reestablish their qualifying experience in the practice of law each and every time those graduates applied to sit for the Illinois bar exam. Going forward, Board of Admissions staff will consistently require such graduates to reestablish their qualifying practice experience each time they apply. However, because that interpretation may be contrary to the expectations of some applicants under Rule 715, the Board of Admissions wrote a letter to the Illinois Supreme Court requesting a temporary and limited accommodation to those Rule 715 applicants who may be expecting to sit for the bar exam in 2025 based on a past determination of eligibility under a different interpretation of Rule 715(b). In the letter, the Board of Admissions asked the Court to enter an order implementing a temporary waiver of strict compliance with the requirements of Rule 715(b) for graduates of foreign law schools who were previously deemed eligible under Rule 715 to sit for one or more bar examinations administered in Illinois in 2022, 2023, and 2024 and who sat for the examination in question. On September 18, 2024, the Supreme Court entered the order as requested.
The order implements a temporary waiver of strict compliance with Rule 715(b), subject to the following terms and conditions:
- The temporary waiver would apply only to “Eligible Applicants”; i.e., those who were deemed eligible under Rule 715 and sat for one or more administrations of the Illinois bar examination between February 2022 and July 2024.
- The temporary waiver would apply only for the purpose of determining an Eligible Applicant’s eligibility under Rule 715 to sit for one, but not both, administrations of the Illinois bar examination in February 2025 and July 2025; provided that, an Eligible Applicant who is deemed eligible to sit in for the February 2025 Illinois bar examination but who does not actually sit for the exam in February 2025 may receive the benefit of the temporary waiver in connection with the July 2025 administration.
- In applying the temporary waiver of Rule 715(b) to an Eligible Applicant, IBAB will not require the Eligible Applicant to reestablish compliance with the requirements of Rule 715(b) as of the date of application for the Illinois bar examination for which the Eligible Applicant is presently applying. Instead, the Eligible Applicant may rely on IBAB’s previous determination of compliance with the requirements of Rule 715(b) in connection with an application for a prior administration of the Illinois bar examination during the years 2022-2024.
- For all other applicants under Rule 715, including Eligible Applicants for which the temporary waiver of Rule 715(b) is no longer available because the applicant sat for the February 2025 Illinois bar exam, the applicant’s compliance with the requirements of Rule 715(b) will be determined as of the date of application for the administration of the Illinois bar examination for which the applicant is presently applying.
- Except as provided above, an Eligible Applicant is required to comply with all requirements of Rule 715 and any other applicable Supreme Court Rule in order to be eligible to sit for the Illinois bar examination, including but not limited to the payment of all applicable fees.
Applicants under Rule 715 who believe they qualify for the temporary waiver of strict compliance with Rule 715(b) and who wish to take advantage of the temporary waiver should follow the regular procedure for submitting a Rule 715 application. Board of Admissions staff are aware of the Court’s September 18 order and will take that into account in determining an applicant’s eligibility under Rule 715.
Illinois Adopts the NextGen Bar Exam Beginning in 2028
Press Release - Illinois Adopts the NextGen Bar Exam Beginning in 2028
THE FINAL LATE FILING DEADLINE FOR THE BAR EXAM HAS BEEN CHANGED
Amended Rule 706
Rule 706. Filing Deadlines and Fees of Registrants and Applicants (a) Character and Fitness Registration. Character and fitness registration applications filed with applications to take the bar examination shall be accompanied by a registration fee of $450. (b) Applications to Take the Bar Examination.
The fees and deadlines for filing applications to take the February bar examination are as follows:
(1) $500 for applications submitted on or before the regular filing deadline of September 15 preceding the examination;
(2) $700 for applications submitted after September 15 but on or before the late filing deadline of November 1; and
(3) $1000 for applications submitted after November 1 but on or before the final late filing deadline of November 30 December 15.
The fees and deadlines for filing applications to take the July bar examination are as follows:
(1) $500 for applications submitted on or before the regular filing deadline of February 15 preceding the examination;
(2) $700 for applications submitted after February 15 but on or before the late filing deadline of April 1; and
(3) $1000 for applications submitted after April 1 but on or before the final late filing deadline of April 30 May 15.
(c) Applications for Reexamination. The fees and deadlines for filing applications for reexamination at a February bar examination are as follows:
(1) $500 for applications submitted on or before the regular reexamination filing deadline of November 1;
(2) $850 for applications submitted after November 1 but on or before the final late filing deadline of November 30 December 15.
The fee fees and deadline deadlines for filing applications for reexamination at a July bar examination are as follows:
$500 for applications submitted on or before April 30. the regular reexamination filing deadline of May 1;
(2)-$850 for applications submitted after May 1 but on or before the final late filing deadline of May 15.
(d) Late Applications. The Board of Admissions to the Bar shall not consider requests for late filing of applications after the final bar examination filing deadlines set forth in the preceding subparagraphs (b) and (c).
FEE INCREASE FOR THE FOLLOWING APPLICATIONS
Effective January 1, 2023, the application fee for Admission on Motion under Rule 705 has been increased to $1,500.
Effective January 1, 2023, the application fee for Limited Admission of House Counsel under Rule 716 has been increased to $1,500.
Effective January 1, 2023, the application fee for Admission by Transferred UBE Score under Rule 704A has been increased to $1,500.
Statement on Diversity and Inclusion
The Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar is committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive legal profession. We are committed to a nondiscriminatory atmosphere and to provide equal opportunity for admission into the legal profession in the state of Illinois. We respect and value individuals' life experiences, heritages, and voices.
Admission by Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) Transfer
Please be aware that beginning with the July 2022 bar examination, Illinois will no longer offer applicants the option of transferring a qualifying Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) score and then sitting for the first-day written portion of the bar examination. The only examination offered for the July 2022 examination, and any subsequent examination, will be the two-day Uniform Bar Examination as defined in Illinois Supreme Court Rule 704.
Admission by Transferred October 2020 Remote Examination Score
If you earned a score in Arizona*, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, or the Virgin Islands** on the October 2020 bar exam and wish to use that score to apply for admission in Illinois, the application for Admission by Transferred October 2020 Remote Examination Score is now available. Click here to initiate an application https://www.ilbaradmissions.org/confirmselectapplication.action?id=240
*Arizona approved October 2021
**Virgin Islands approved May 2021
RECIPROCITY ANNOUNCEMENT
Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar Announces Reciprocity Agreements
Per the order of the Illinois Supreme Court authorizing the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar to consult with other jurisdictions administering the October 5-6, 2020 NCBE remote exam to arrange for reciprocity, the Board is pleased to announce that Illinois will engage in reciprocity with the following jurisdictions:
Arizona
Connecticut
District of Columbia
Kentucky
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Oregon
Tennessee
Vermont
Virgin Islands
Other jurisdictions may be added to this list.
Per the agreement, the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar is required to provide these jurisdictions with the names of applicants sitting for our exam, their NCBE numbers, and earned score.
Applicants should be aware that this agreement applies only to scores earned on the October 5-6, 2020 exam. It does not apply to any other score or any other exam.
Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711(g)
Please be aware that the Illinois Supreme Court has amended Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711(g). Below is the link to the amended Rule.
https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/Resources/71322647-b454-4b94-a2c1-2db33cd0af3c/070220.pdf