All Announcements
Vaccination Requirements for February 2022 Exam
Per the website announcement on October 7, 2021, the Illinois Admissions to the Bar (IBAB) will administer the February 2022 bar examination in person in various locations in Chicago, Illinois. There will be no remote option available.
All February 2022 applicants will be required to demonstrate proof of full vaccination before being allowed to sit for the bar examination. Details on how and where to provide that proof is in development and will be made available when secure protocols are in place. IBAB follows the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations for full vaccination. That is defined as:
A) two (2) weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
(B) two (2) weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.
If you do not demonstrate proof of full vaccination as defined above, you will not be considered to be fully vaccinated. The due date for submission of proofs and the type of proofs, will be a final date after which vaccination proof will not be accepted.
All February 2022 applicants who have not received the required number of vaccination doses, regardless of the reason for their unvaccinated status, and all February 2022 applicants not providing proof of vaccination, will be deemed unvaccinated. Such applicants will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result in-person on the morning of the first day of the February 2022 UBE in order to enter and/or remain in the examination facility; and such negative test must be either a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) taken at a laboratory or test site, or a rapid test, dated within four (4) days prior to the first day of the exam. Results from at-home tests will not be accepted. Applicants deemed unvaccinated are responsible for obtaining the tests required by IBAB and bearing the costs associated therewith.
All proof of vaccination status and test results submitted shall be considered confidential and maintained as such.
February 2022 applicants with proof of full vaccination will be physically separated from those deemed unvaccinated to the extent possible under the available seating conditions at the contracted exam sites.
In addition, all applicants, proctors, and staff will be required to always wear masks while in the examination facilities, regardless of vaccination status. Further guidelines on masking requirements will be posted on this site when available.
Any person who does not comply with masking requirements, vaccination proofs, or proof of negative testing, shall be denied entrance to, or be subject to removal from, the examination site. Further, anyone attempting to falsify proofs will be immediately removed from the examination site.
All applicants, examination proctors, and examination administration staff shall be subject to these requirements.
In addition to the health measures set forth above, IBAB may implement other health measures as deemed necessary.
Please monitor this site and your user home page for further information, updates, and announcements.
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.
February 2022 UBE in Illinois to be Administered in Person
On June 1, 2021, the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) announced that February 2022 bar exam materials will be provided for paper-based in-person testing only, absent restrictions by a public health authority that would prohibit a jurisdiction from administering the February exam in person.
Illinois has no such restrictions currently. The Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar intends to administer the February 2022 Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) in person, in Chicago, Illinois. There will be no remote option. Appropriate safety and health protocols are being established and will be provided to applicants when they are available. The Board recognizes that conditions may change between now and February and will make necessary changes to exam procedure as required and recommended by federal, state, and local authorities. Please check this website and your IBAB account frequently for updates.
February 2022 Bar Exam Hotel Rooms
FEBRUARY 2022 BAR EXAM HOTEL ROOMS
Hilton Chicago, located at 720 S. Michigan Avenue in Chicago, is offering a discounted guest room rate of $129 +tax per night for Illinois bar examinees. The rate is available Sunday, February 20 - Friday, February 25, 2022. Reservations must be made by Friday, January 28, 2022.
BOOKING LINK: https://book.passkey.com/go/BarExam2022
If additional nights are needed outside of February 20-25, or if making reservations by phone, call Hilton reservations at 1-877-865-5320. Refer to the group "2022 Bar Exam" or "IBA".
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 HILTON CHICAGO.
February 22-23, 2022 Examination - Filing closes December 15
Filing is now open for the February 22-23, 2022 Illinois Bar Examination (UBE). See related links on this site, and check back frequently for updated information. Filing for the February 2022 examination closes December 15, 2021.
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. Any applicant wishing to opt out of having this information released to the above-named jurisdictions (and any other jurisdictions added later) should contact Deputy Director Larie McGill, lmcgill@ilbaradmissions.org. Note that if you choose to opt out, you are opting out of reporting to ALL jurisdictions.
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
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.