All Announcements
EMERGENCY TRAVEL ORDER
Please be advised of an Emergency Travel Order issued by the Chicago Department of Public Health in effect July 6, 2020. Please continue to monitor this site for continually updated information:
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/emergency-travel-order.html
SEPTEMBER 2020 EXAM
At this time, the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar plans to administer the bar exam on September 9-10, 2020, location to be determined. The Board takes safety very seriously. We are carefully following guidelines from the CDC, the state of Illinois, and local departments of health. We are also altering our policies, consistent with test security, to assure safety for applicants and staff.
Be aware that we will require all applicants and staff to cover the nose and mouth at all times. Applicants should become accustomed to wearing facemasks now so that it is not intolerable at the exam.
The Board is arranging space for the exam so that social distancing is enforced.
Further guidelines are being developed and upon finalization will be announced. The Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar reminds applicants that conditions are subject to change, and public health concerns may ultimately preclude the administration of the September bar exam. We will make every effort to keep applicants updated through this website and your accounts.
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2020 BAR EXAM HOTEL ROOMS
SEPTEMBER 2020 BAR EXAM HOTEL ROOMS
APPLICANTS WITH CURRENT RESERVATIONS:
UPDATE: The Crowne Plaza Chicago West Loop will now be closed during the September 2020 Illinois bar examination. Applicants with guest room reservations at the Crowne Plaza Chicago West Loop must call 1-800-227-6963 to cancel.
Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711(g)
Please be aware that the Illinois Supreme Court has amended Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711(g). Below are links to the press release and the amended Rule.
https://courts.illinois.gov/Media/PressRel/2020/070220.pdf
https://courts.illinois.gov/SupremeCourt/Announce/2020/070220.pdf
JULY 2020 EXAM POSTPONED TO SEPTEMBER 9-10
JULY 2020 BAR EXAM: The Illinois Supreme Court announced that the July 2020 bar examination will not be administered on July 28-29, 2020. Click here to read the Court’s announcement: https://courts.illinois.gov/Media/PressRel/2020/050120.pdf
The examination has been rescheduled to WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9-10, 2020. The deadlines contained in Illinois Supreme Court Rule 706, and administrative deadlines set by the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar, are amended as follows:
Fees Already Submitted for July 2020: Applications submitted and fees paid for the July 2020 bar exam will be automatically continued to the September 9-10, 2020 administration date.
Final Exam Application Deadline: The final deadline for registering for the Illinois bar examination now scheduled for September 9-10, 2020, is extended to June 15, 2020.
Refund or Transfer to February 2021: Make a written request to your processor, explaining your inability to sit for the September 9-10, 2020 exam and extenuating circumstances. Requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Any request for a refund must be made by 12 p.m. on July 28, 2020. Thereafter, only transfers of fees to February 2021 will be given.
Deadline to submit Nonstandard Testing Forms and Documents: The deadline is extended to June 15, 2020.
MBE Transfer Receipt: Applications to sit for the one-day exam with a transferred MBE score must have the MBE score submitted by June 30, 2020.
Laptop Registration: The laptop registration open period will be July 8-22.
Dean’s Certificate receipt: Dean’s certificates must be submitted by July 31, 2020.
Administrative Accommodation Filing Deadline: The deadline to submit Administrative Accommodation requests will be August 1, 2020.
September 2020 bar applicants should carefully monitor this website and their user home pages for further developments. Also monitor the National Conference of Bar Examiners information at:
http://www.ncbex.org/ or http://www.ncbex.org/ncbe-covid-19-updates/
COVID 19 PANDEMIC
As our nation addresses the COVID-19 pandemic, IBAB is taking steps to assure the health and safety of our employees and the community. We are still operating, but many employees are working remotely. Our office is closed to the public. Staff is available via email, and that will be the most efficient method for us to assist you.
If you have questions about an exam or UBE transfer application pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rules 704, 704A, or 715, please email a file processor:
Last Name A-Bo: Diana Hobrock, dhobrock@ilbaradmissions.org
Last Name Br-E: Dorothy Holmes, dholmes@ilbaradmissions.org
Last Name F-Jam: Judith McDonough, jmcdonough@ilbaradmissions.org
Last Name Jan-Mas: Lisa Bailey, lbailey@ilbaradmissions.org
Last Name Mat-Pl: Stephany Shipp, sshipp@ilbaradmissions.org
Last Name Po-Ste: Tammy Adams, tadams@ilbaradmissions.org
Last Name Sti-Z: Tara Henrikson, thenrikson@ilbaradmissions.org
Nonstandard: Ty Perry, tperry@ilbaradmissions.org
If you have a question about laptop testing, please email Stephany Shipp, sshipp@ilbaradmissions.org, or Tara Henrikson, thenrikson@ilbaradmissions.org
For questions about applications pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rules 705, 712, 716, 717, and 719, please email Paula Ramsey-Brown, pramsey-brown@ilbaradmissions.org
For inquiries about Character and Fitness processes, please email Vanessa Williams, vwilliams@ilbaradmissions.org
Questions about non-standard testing accommodations should be directed to Ty Perry, tperry@ilbaradmissions.org
Questions concerning MPRE and MBE score transfers, administrative accommodations, or study materials, contact Carrie Homann, chomann@ilbaradmissions.org
Inquiries from law schools and bar admission entities should be directed to Larie McGill, lmcgill@ilbaradmissions.org
All other inquiries, please contact Nancy Vincent, nvincent@ilbaradmissions.org
Understand that not all inquiries can be handled immediately, and we thank you for your patience. Be safe and be well.
EXAM SITE LOCATIONS FOR STANDARD TEST TAKERS
September 2020 examination sites will be announced prior to the exam.
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/
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
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.