All Announcements
APPLICATIONS FOR THE FEBRUARY 2020 BAR EXAMINATION ARE NOW AVAILABLE
EXAM SITE LOCATIONS FOR STANDARD TEST TAKERS
The exam will be administered at the UIC Forum and the UIC Credit Union 1 for standard test takers.
The Forum is located on the corner of Halsted and Roosevelt on the Southeast corner.
The UIC Credit Union 1 Arena is located on the right hand corner of W. Harrison Street and S. Racine.
UIC FORUM/ISADORE AND SADIE DORIN FORUM
UIC CREDIT UNION 1 ARENA
UIC FORUM PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION
DIRECTIONS
CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY TRAIN
https://www.transitchicago.com/
The closest public transportation options are the following CTA buses (which can be taken to blue, green, orange or red El lines), the Intracampus Shuttle and the Halsted Street Metra Station:
North-South HALSTED BUS #8, Roosevelt Stop
- Southbound Halsted Bus #8 stops just south of the UIC Forum (Halsted & Roosevelt)
- Northbound Halsted Bus #8 stops just north of the UIC Forum (Halsted & Roosevelt)
East-West ROOSEVELT BUS #12, Halsted Stop
- Eastbound Roosevelt Bus #12 stops just east of Halsted, right in front of the UIC Forum
- Westbound Roosevelt Bus #12 stops just east of Halsted, across the street from the UIC Forum
Eastbound 16th-18th BUS #18, Halsted Stop
- Eastbound 16th-18th Bus #18 stops just east of Halsted, right in front of the UIC Forum
- Stops on Halsted between Taylor and Roosevelt
Halsted Street Metra Station (on Halsted between 15th & 16th streets)
PARKING
The main parking lot for the UIC Forum is Lot 5C (located at 1135 South Morgan St. on the corner of Morgan & Roosevelt).
http://www.uic.edu/depts/avcad/parking/facilities.html or http://maps.uic.edu/# (on this list, use “visitor” lots - Lot 5C most appropriate)
UIC CREDIT UNION 1 ARENA PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION
DIRECTIONS
http://www.uicpavilion.com/pavilion/
CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY TRAIN
http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/blueline_schedules/UICHalsted.pdf
CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY BUS
The closest public transportation options are the following CTA buses (which can be taken to blue, green, orange or red El lines)
http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/busroute.aspx?RouteId=166 Bus #7 Harrison
http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/busroute.aspx?RouteId=221 Bus #60 Blue Island/26th
http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/busroute.aspx?RouteId=271 Bus #120 Ogilivie/Streeterville
http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/busroute.aspx?RouteId=167 Bus #8 Halsted
UIC PARKING
http://www.uicpavilion.com/pavilion/directions-parking/
FEBRUARY 2020 BAR EXAM HOTEL ROOMS
FEBRUARY 2020 BAR EXAM HOTEL ROOMS
The Crowne Plaza Chicago West Loop, located at 25 S. Halsted Street, is offering a discounted rate of $124 per night for Illinois bar examinees. The rate is available Sunday, February 23 – Thursday, February 27, 2020. Reservations must be made by Wednesday January 29, 2020. Reservations made after the cut-off date will be based on availability.
Booking Link: IL Bd of Admissions to the Bar - Students
Please mention Group Code VHA when making reservations online or by phone
Reservations must be made online or by phone: 312.829.5000
(web link is not mobile friendly)
If additional nights are needed outside February 23-27, or if making reservations by phone,
please call 312-829-5000.
You must mention the following group code when making reservations: VHA
REDUCED-PRICE ROOMS ARE GENERALLY RESERVED WELL BEFORE THE DEADLINE SO MAKE YOUR RESERVATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE; IT IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE TO EXPAND THE ROOM BLOCK, AND THE BOARD MAKES NO GUARANTEE OF ROOM AVAILABILITY OR REDUCED RATE AT THE CROWNE PLAZA.
APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION BY TRANSFERRED UBE SCORE ARE NOW AVAILABLE
UNIFORM BAR EXAM - UPDATE
ANNOUNCEMENT
The Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar is pleased to announce that on June 8, 2018, the Supreme Court of Illinois accepted its recommendation to adopt the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). The UBE is a uniformly administered, graded and scored bar examination that results in a portable score. Illinois is now the 30th state to adopt the UBE.
The first administration of the UBE in Illinois will be July 2019. That application to TAKE the UBE in July 2019 will be available in January 2019. The date Illinois will begin to accept applications to TRANSFER UBE scores earned in other UBE jurisdictions to Illinois is also January 2019. A transferred UBE score to Illinois may not be more than four years old and must be a total scaled 266 or higher, and can be accepted even if the applicant did not pass the exam in the jurisdiction from which the score is being transferred.
Be aware that in order for your score to be considered a portable UBE score, you must take the entire examination in one administration, and in a current UBE jurisdiction. See http://www.ncbex.org/exams/ube/score-portability/.
The format of the Illinois bar examination will change from three Illinois Essay questions, one Multistate Performance Test (MPT) task, six Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) questions and the 200 question Multistate Bar Exam (MBE-multiple choice) to two MPT tasks, six MEE questions, and the MBE. In other words, an additional MPT will replace the Illinois Essay questions.
The educational requirements, deadlines and fees to TAKE the UBE remain the same for Illinois. The fee to TRANSFER a UBE score to Illinois will be $1,250. The minimum total scaled score required to pass the Illinois bar examination will remain 266. Current weighting of the Illinois bar exam is 13.3% for the Illinois essays, 10% for the MPT, 26.7% for the MEE, and 50% for the MBE. As of the July 2019 UBE administration, weighting will adjust to 20% for the two MPT sections, 30% for the six MEE questions, and 50% MBE. The current exam is, and the UBE will be, scored on a 400 point scale.
The new daily schedule for standard testers will be very similar to the current exam:
Tuesday Wednesday
MPT (two tasks, 3 hours) MBE AM (100 questions, 3 hours)
MEE (six essays, 3 hours) MBE PM (100 questions, 3 hours)
PASSING SCORES FOR ILLINOIS BAR EXAM
The passing score for the Illinois bar exam will remain at 266 until further order of the Illinois Supreme Court.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACCOMMODATION REQUEST FORM
Bar exam applicants seeking an Administrative Accommodation at the exam must now fill out an Administrative Accommodation Request Form. An Administrative Accommodation (AA) provides a courtesy arrangement for applicants with certain health-related issues in standard test rooms following the standard testing schedule.★
Common examples of AA 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, EpiPen, 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 or food and beverage for medical reasons;
● BREAST PUMPING - Permission to bring a lactation pump and accessories, including cooler with ice packs, to: Option-1 Standard Test Room – where the examinee will be provided a private space to use the pump during restroom or lunch breaks within the standard testing schedule, or Option 2-AA Test Room – where the examinee will be provided a private space to use the pump during the exam with stop-the-clock breaks of up to 30 minutes per 3 hours of testing.
Note: administratively-accommodated breast pumping in Option 2 provides the only deviation from the standard testing schedule for which an applicant does not submit Nonstandard Testing Accommodation forms.
★ In contrast, a Nonstandard Testing Accommodation (NTA) is an entirely separate form of accommodation provided to applicants with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) who have health-related conditions such as physical impairments, learning disorders, visual and hearing impairments, and psychiatric and psychological disorders. A NTA accommodation may deviate from the standard testing schedule. NTA requests are reviewed by an outside consultant, have stricter deadlines, and require specific documentation.
Rule 706 Filing Deadlines
The Illinois Supreme Court has made an amendment to Rule 706. Please follow the link for further information.
http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/Media/PressRel/2016/052616.pdf
CHANGES TO ADMISSION ON MOTION AND LIMITED ADMISSION OF HOUSE COUNSEL
CHANGES TO ADMISSION ON MOTION AND LIMITED ADMISSION OF HOUSE COUNSEL
Effective January 1, 2016, the prior practice requirement for admission on motion will be lowered from five (5) years to three (3) years.
Also, effective January 1, 2016, attorneys licensed to practice in foreign jurisdictions will be allowed to obtain a limited house counsel license.
You may view copies of Amended Rule 705 – Admission on Motion and Amended Rule 716 – Limited Admission of House Counsel below.
https://www.ilbaradmissions.org/amended-rules-705-and-716
EMAIL FOR FASTER ANSWERS!
For faster answers to your questions, please EMAIL, rather than phone, your file processor. A file processor’s email address consists of the first letter of his/her first name followed by complete last name @ILBarAdmissions.org. For example, the email address of a processor named John Smith would be jsmith@ILBarAdmissions.org. Many thanks.