Directions and Instructions for Seeking Waiver of ABA-Approved Law School Degree Requirements Pursuant to Indiana Admission and Discipline Rule 13, Section 4.
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)
Waiver of the Standard Educational Qualifications
The Indiana Board of Law Examiners may in its discretion waive the educational qualification requirements in Section 1(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.
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 apply for admission to the examination. You may apply for a waiver at any time; however, once approved, you can only apply to take the exam during the regular filing times as posted on the website.
NO EXTENSIONS OF TIME TO FILE A WAIVER REQUEST UNDER ADMISSION AND RULE 13, SECTION 4 WILL BE GRANTED
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.
Procedure to Seek a Waiver Pursuant to Admission and Discipline Rule 13, Section 4
Complete and submit the online Waiver Request Application, which must be accompanied by the following documents:
- A narrative statement that includes a detailed description of the applicant's legal education and training, a detailed description of the applicant's work history, including any experience in the practice of law, and reasons why the applicant believes a waiver is warranted.
- Official transcripts from each undergraduate college or university the applicant attended, reflecting all courses taken, the grade for each course, the number of semester hours of credit earned, and the degree(s) awarded, if any.
- Official transcripts from each undergraduate college or university the applicant attended reflecting 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 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 contained in the applicant's LSAC file provided to the U.S. law school.)
- Official transcripts from each law school the applicant attended reflecting 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 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 contained in the applicant's LSAC file provided to the U.S. law school.)
- A narrative statement that 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.
- Bar examination results—number of graduates from the applicant's law school(s) who passed/failed, classified by state administering the exam, for the previous three years.
- A statement of whether the applicant has applied to take the bar exam in any other jurisdiction and the result of that request, and the result of any bar examination taken by the applicant.
- 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.
- A current, original Certificate of Good Standing issued by the highest court of all U.S. state and territories in which the applicant is admitted and the bars of all other countries in which the applicant is admitted.
- Any other documentation, material, or information the applicant believes is relevant to establish the applicant is qualified by reason 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.