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INDIANA SUPREME COURT BOARD of LAW EXAMINERS

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Information & Applications » Rule 13 Waiver Request » Waiver of the Standard Educational Qualifications


Rule 13.1 Waiver Requests

 

A. Directions and Instructions for Seeking a Waiver of ABA-Approved Law School Degree Requirements to Sit for the Indiana Bar Examination Pursuant to Indiana Admission and Discipline Rule 13.1.

1. The Standard Educational Qualifications

Applicants are eligible to take the Indiana Bar examination only if they have earned a Juris Doctor degree (or its equivalent) from a law school approved by the American Bar Association. See Indiana Admission and Discipline Rule 13, Section 1(a)

2. Waiver of the Standard Educational Qualifications

The Indiana Board of Law Examiners may in its discretion waive the educational qualification requirements in Indiana Admission and Discipline Rule 13, Section l (a) for an applicant who:

  1. has graduated from a law school located in the United States that is not approved by the ABA, was eligible upon graduation from that law school to take the bar examination of another state, and the Board finds is qualified by reason of education or experience to take the Indiana bar examination; or
  2. has completed legal education in a jurisdiction outside the United States, has obtained a graduate degree from an ABA-approved law school in a program based on American law, and the Board finds is qualified by reason of education or experience to take the Indiana bar examination.

3. Filing Fee to Submit Waiver Request:

The filing fee to submit a request for waiver is $250. This fee is non-refundable and may NOT be waived.

4. Deadlines for Waiver Requests:

The Indiana State Board of Law Examiners requires adequate time to review and consider your credentials PRIOR to permitting you to file an application for admission on examination.

For a July examination, the waiver request and all documentation must be filed on or before the filing deadline.

For a February examination, the request for a waiver and all documentation must be filed on or before filing deadline.

NO EXTENSIONS OF TIME TO FILE A WAIVER REQUEST UNDER ADMISSION AND RULE 13, SECTION 4 WILL BE GRANTED

5. Determinations Regarding Character and Fitness

The granting of a waiver request under Admission and Discipline Rule 13, Section 4 only allows an applicant to file an application to sit for the Indiana bar exam. Please note that the granting of a waiver request does not mean that an applicant is approved as to character and fitness. Determinations regarding whether an applicant has the requisite character and fitness to practice law will only be made once an applicant who has been granted a waiver file his or her application to sit for the bar exam.

6. Limitation on the Duration of a Waiver

A waiver granted under this rule for the educational requirement set forth in Rule 13(1)(a) applies only to the bar examination for which the applicant has timely applied, or, if none, the next bar examination for which the applicant may timely apply after the waiver is approved.

The waiver does not carry forward to any later examination and does not apply to any reexamination. An applicant who does not sit for that examination, or who sits for and fails that examination, must obtain a new waiver before being permitted to sit for a later examination or reexamination.

 

B. Directions and Instructions for Seeking a Waiver of ABA-Approved Law School Degree Requirements to Transfer a UBE Score Pursuant to Indiana Admission and Discipline Rules 13.1 and 17.1.

1. The Standard Educational Qualifications to Transfer a UBE Score

Applicants are eligible for admission on a transferred UBE score of 264 or higher earned in another jurisdiction within 5 years or less of the date of application only if they have earned a Juris Doctor degree (or its equivalent) from a law school approved by the American Bar Association. See Indiana Admission and Discipline Rule 13, Section 1(a)

2. Waiver of the Standard Educational Qualifications to Transfer a UBE Score to Indiana

The Indiana Board of Law Examiners may in its discretion waive the educational qualification requirements in Indiana Admission and Discipline Rule 17.1, Section 1(e) for an applicant who receives a scaled score of 264 on the UBE in another jurisdiction.

3. Filing Fee to Submit Waiver Request:

The filing fee to submit a request for waiver is $250. This fee is non-refundable and may NOT be waived.

4. Determinations Regarding Character and Fitness

The granting of a waiver request under Admission and Discipline Rule 13, Section 4 only allows an applicant to file an application to sit for the Indiana bar exam. Please note that the granting of a waiver request does not mean that an applicant is approved as to character and fitness. Determinations regarding whether an applicant has the requisite character and fitness to practice law will only be made once an applicant who has been granted a waiver file his or her application to sit for the bar exam.

 

C. Procedure to Seek a Waiver Pursuant to Admission and Discipline Rule 13.1.

To seek a waiver, you must complete and submit the online Waiver Request Application and submit the following documents:

  1. A narrative statement includes a detailed description of the applicant's legal education and training, a detailed description of the applicant's work history, any experience in the practice of law, and reasons why the applicant believes a waiver is warranted.
  2. Official transcripts from each undergraduate college or university the applicant attended reflect all courses taken, the grade for each course, the number of semester hours of credit earned, and the degree(s) awarded, if any.
  3. Documents showing the scores earned by the applicant on all bar exams that he or she sat for in any jurisdictions in the United States
  4. Official transcripts from each undergraduate college or university the applicant attended reflect all the courses taken, the grade for each course, the number of semester hours of credit earned, and the degree( s) awarded, if any. (Transcripts must sent by the college or university to the Office of Admissions and Continuing Education, 251 North Illinois Street, Suite 550, Indianapolis, IN 46220, or sent electronically from the college or university to BLE@courts.in.gov. (For LLM applicants only, we will accept copies of non-U.S. scholastic transcripts in the applicant's LSAC file provided to the U.S. law school.)
  5. Official transcripts from each law school the applicant attended reflect all the courses taken, the grade for each course, the number of semester hours of credit earned, and the degree(s) awarded, if any. (Transcripts must sent by the college or university to the Office of Admissions and Continuing Education, 251 North Illinois Street, Suite 550, Indianapolis, IN 46220, or sent electronically from the college or university to BLE@Courts.in.gov. (For LLM applicants only, we will accept copies of non-U.S. scholastic transcripts in the applicant's LSAC file provided to the U.S. law school.)
  6. A narrative statement includes a description of the applicant's legal education and training, a description of the applicant's work history , and reasons why the applicant believes a waiver is warranted.
  7. Bar examination results-number of graduates from the applicant's law school(s) who passed/failed, classified by the state administering the exam, for the previous three years.
  8. A statement of whether the applicant has applied to take the bar exam in any other jurisdiction the result of that request, and the result of any bar examination taken by the applicant.
  9. For applicants who have completed legal education outside the United States, a description of that country's legal system, including, but not limited to, whether the English common law substantially forms the basis of that country's jurisprudence and whether English is the language of instruction and practice in the courts of that jurisdiction.
  10. A current, original Certificate of Good Standing issued by the highest court of all U.S. states and territories where the applicant is admitted and the bars of all other countries where the applicant is admitted.
  11. Any other documentation, material, or information the applicant believes is relevant to establish the applicant is qualified because of education or experience to take the Indiana bar examination.

Please Note: Any document submitted to the Board that is not in the English language must be translated into English. The Board may request additional information or material as it deems appropriate, and no material submitted to the Board will be returned to the applicant.

Standard to be Applied in Evaluating a Waiver Request

The Indiana Board of Law Examiners will grant a waiver when it finds that doing so would be in the public interest after balancing all relevant factors, including the applicant's educational history and achievement, work history and achievement, bar exam results from other jurisdictions, desire to practice law in Indiana, and familiarity with the American legal system. The Board's decision is subject to final approval by the Court.

Rule 13 Waivers Requests timeline:

We are receiving a high volume of Rule 13 waiver requests. While we make every effort to evaluate these requests as expeditiously as possible, there is no guarantee that the Board of Law Examiners will be able to make a determination on your request prior to the deadline for submitting applications for the next administration of the Indiana bar exam.