How to Become a Lawyer in Missouri
Here’s how to become a lawyer in Missouri by the standard exam route: earn a bachelor’s degree and a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school, then score at least 610 on the NextGen bar exam. You also need an MPRE score of 80 or higher, a passed Missouri Educational Component Test (MECT), and character and fitness approval.
The biggest recent change is the bar exam itself. Missouri gave its last Uniform Bar Exam in February 2026 and switched to the NextGen bar exam in July 2026, so a guide that describes the MEE, the MBE, or Missouri essay questions is out of date. Here’s how to become a lawyer in Missouri in five steps, with the fees and deadlines the Missouri Board of Law Examiners (MBLE) lists as of November 2026.
- Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Any Major
- Take the LSAT
- Earn a J.D. from an ABA-Approved Law School
- Pass the Missouri Bar Exam, the MECT, and the MPRE
- Keep Your Missouri License Active
Lawyer Salary and Jobs in Missouri
Lawyers in Missouri earned a median annual wage of $133,450 in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That’s below the national median of $159,670 for the same period. BLS counted 11,560 lawyer jobs in the state, a figure that leaves out self-employed lawyers. Pay runs highest in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas, which together hold most of those jobs.
| Area | Lawyer Jobs | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri (statewide) | 11,560 | $133,450 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 120 | $94,600 |
| Columbia, MO | 400 | $107,890 |
| Jefferson City, MO | 490 | $93,320 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | 180 | $96,190 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 5,310 | $134,640 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | 100 | $97,370 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 6,100 | $142,690 |
| Springfield, MO | 710 | $103,790 |
Missouri projects lawyer employment to grow 4.1% from 2024 to 2034, from 13,460 to 14,010 jobs, with about 490 openings a year, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC). Most openings come from lawyers who retire or change careers, not from new positions.
Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Any Major
The MBLE doesn’t require any particular undergraduate major or pre-law courses. For the standard admission-by-examination path, Missouri Supreme Court Rule 8 requires a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school. (Rule 8.07 has limited alternatives for some non-ABA and foreign law school graduates, covered in Step 4.) A bachelor’s degree is the standard way into an ABA-approved law school. ABA standards allow narrow exceptions, such as combined programs that let some students start law school after three years of college, so check with the schools you’re considering if that applies to you.
Accreditation
Law schools expect your bachelor’s degree to come from an accredited college or university. You can check a school’s accreditation in the U.S. Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP) before you enroll or transfer credits.
Courses That May Help
No undergraduate course is required for law school, under ABA rules. Courses that build reading, writing, and argument skills may help, though: philosophy, logic, technical writing, business, political science, history, and criminal justice are common choices for students who plan to go to law school.
Degree Options
Most ABA-approved law schools accept a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in any major. Pick the major you’ll earn strong grades in, since your GPA and your LSAT score carry the most weight in admissions.
Take the LSAT
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is the most common entrance exam for ABA-approved law schools, which weigh it along with your GPA. The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) runs it. It isn’t universally required: ABA standards let schools accept other valid admission tests, and some schools accept the GRE instead. Check each school’s admissions page before you choose which test to take.
What the LSAT Covers
The multiple-choice LSAT has four 35-minute sections: two scored Logical Reasoning sections, one scored Reading Comprehension section, and one unscored section of either type. The Analytical Reasoning section (often called “logic games”) was dropped in August 2024, so skip prep materials built around it. You also complete LSAT Argumentative Writing, a 50-minute writing task you take remotely. It isn’t scored, but LSAC sends it to the schools you apply to.
How to Prepare
LSAC offers free official practice tests and an overview of every section through LawHub. Most applicants take the LSAT in the summer or fall before they apply, so their score arrives before school deadlines.
Registration, Fees and Test Dates
Register through your LSAC account. As of the 2026-2027 testing year, the fee is $253, which includes LSAT Argumentative Writing, and a retake costs the same, according to LSAC’s fee schedule. LSAC offers the test eight times a year in the U.S. Starting in August 2026, nearly all test takers sit for the multiple-choice LSAT in person at a Prometric test center instead of at home. Check current dates and registration deadlines on LSAC’s test dates page.
Receiving Your Score
Scores post to your LSAC account online, usually about three weeks after the test, and LSAC releases them only once your Argumentative Writing sample is on file. The scale runs from 120 to 180. Here are the median LSAT scores for students who entered Missouri’s four ABA-approved law schools in fall 2025:
| Law School | City | Median LSAT (Fall 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Washington University School of Law | St. Louis | 175 |
| University of Missouri School of Law | Columbia | 161 |
| Saint Louis University School of Law | St. Louis | 157 |
| University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law | Kansas City | 156 |
Each school publishes these figures every December in its ABA Standard 509 disclosure, so check the school’s own report for the newest class.
Earn a J.D. from an ABA-Approved Law School
Applying to Law School
Your J.D. doesn’t have to come from a Missouri school. For the standard admission-by-examination path, the MBLE accepts a J.D. from any ABA-approved law school in the U.S., and as of November 2026, the ABA lists 198 approved J.D. programs.
Credential Assembly Service
ABA-approved law schools require the Credential Assembly Service (CAS), an LSAC service that collects your transcripts and letters of recommendation and sends them to each school you apply to. For the 2026-2027 cycle, CAS costs $219, plus $45 for each law school report, according to LSAC. You pay through the same LSAC account you use for the LSAT.
ABA-Approved Law Schools in Missouri
Missouri has four ABA-approved law schools:
- Washington University School of Law, Anheuser-Busch Hall, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130
- University of Missouri School of Law, 103 Hulston Hall, Columbia, MO 65211
- Saint Louis University School of Law, 100 N. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63101
- University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, 500 E. 52nd Street, Kansas City, MO 64110
What You’ll Study
Missouri’s law schools usually build the first years of the J.D. around these courses:
- Civil procedure
- Contracts
- Criminal law and procedure
- Torts
- Property
- Legal research and writing
- Legal reasoning
- Legal problem-solving and dispute resolution
- Constitutional law
- Evidence
- Professional responsibility and ethics
ABA Standard 311 requires at least 83 credit hours for a J.D., at least 64 of them in regularly scheduled classes or direct faculty instruction. A full-time J.D. usually takes three years and a part-time program about four.
Online Law Degrees
(A J.D. earned online counts toward the standard route to the Missouri bar exam only if the program is ABA-approved.)
Dual Degree Programs
Under Rule 8, you need a J.D. to sit for the Missouri bar exam. Some schools also offer dual degrees that pair the J.D. with a master’s degree, which may help if you plan to work in a field such as business or health care. Depending on the school, options may include:
- Business (J.D./MBA)
- Journalism (J.D./MA)
- Public affairs (J.D./MPA)
- Library and information science (J.D./MLS)
- Economics (J.D./MA)
- Health administration (J.D./MHA)
- Educational leadership and policy analysis (J.D./MA)
- Personal financial planning (J.D./MS)
- Human development and family studies (J.D./MA or J.D./MS)
Register Early for Your Character and Fitness Report
Character and fitness is the MBLE’s review of your background, including criminal, academic, employment and financial history, to decide whether you can be trusted to practice law. You can start it while you’re still in law school, and doing so cuts your costs. As of November 2026, the MBLE fee schedule lists two prices for the law student application:
- $240 if you file by the first June 30 after you start law school
- $465 if you file after that, but no later than June 30 after your second year
Filing as a law student also lowers the bar exam fee you pay later. A few Rule 8 points matter most here. A felony plea or finding of guilt doesn’t disqualify you permanently, but you can’t apply until five years after your sentence or probation ends. A pending felony charge or a pending disciplinary complaint in another state makes you ineligible while it’s pending. Other criminal, academic, or disciplinary history doesn’t automatically disqualify you: the MBLE weighs it case by case and may admit an applicant with conditions. You must update your application within 30 days of any change. The MBLE’s character and fitness page explains what it reviews.
Pass the Missouri Bar Exam, the MECT, and the MPRE
You must finish every requirement for your J.D. before you sit for the bar exam, under Rule 8.07, even if your degree hasn’t been conferred yet. To be admitted, you need three passing results: the NextGen bar exam, the Missouri Educational Component Test (MECT), and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE).
The NextGen Bar Exam
Missouri was among the first states to give the NextGen bar exam, written by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), starting in July 2026. It replaced the Uniform Bar Exam’s separate MEE, MPT, and MBE. The NextGen exam mixes standalone multiple-choice questions, integrated question sets, and performance tasks, and it tests foundational legal concepts alongside lawyering skills. Under Rule 8.08, the questions are graded on the law of general application, not Missouri law, so there are no Missouri essay questions.
The legal subjects tested as of the July 2026 exam are civil procedure, contract law, evidence, torts, business associations, constitutional law, criminal law, and real property. NCBE adds family law starting with the July 2028 exam, according to its content scope.
Scoring
Scores fall on a scale of 500 to 750. Each state that uses the exam sets its own passing score, and Missouri’s is 610. Under Rule 8.08, multiple-choice questions count for 49% of the score, integrated question sets for 21%, and performance tasks for 30%.
Dates and Location
Missouri gives the bar exam on the last consecutive Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July. The exam runs three sessions over a day and a half: Tuesday morning and afternoon, then Wednesday morning. It’s held in Columbia, not Jefferson City. The February 2027 exam is set for February 23-24, 2027, at the Stoney Creek Hotel Columbia, according to the MBLE’s schedule.
Application Deadlines
Apply online through your MBLE account. Applications open February 1 for the July exam and September 1 for the February exam. Filing later costs more:
- Timely deadline: March 1 for July, October 1 for February
- First late deadline: April 1 for July, November 1 for February
- Final deadline: May 1 for July, December 1 for February
If you failed the most recent Missouri exam, your timely deadline for July is May 1. When a deadline falls on a weekend, it moves to the next business day, so check the MBLE’s key dates page for the exact dates.
Fees
Your bar exam fee depends on whether you registered with the MBLE as a law student and on when you file, according to the MBLE fee schedule as of November 2026:
| When You File | No Law Student Application | Filed a Law Student Application |
|---|---|---|
| By the timely deadline | $1,045 | $560 |
| By the first late deadline | $1,190 | $700 |
| By the final deadline | $1,400 | $910 |
The MBLE accepts credit or debit cards, money orders, cashier’s checks, and corporate or law firm checks payable to the Clerk of the Supreme Court. It doesn’t accept personal checks, and fees aren’t refundable.
Mailing Address
Mail documents and payments to the Missouri Board of Law Examiners, P.O. Box 104236, Jefferson City, MO 65110-4236. You can also hand-deliver them to 1700 Jefferson Street, Jefferson City, MO 65109. Put your full name and date of birth on anything you send. The MBLE’s phone number is (573) 751-9814.
Missouri Educational Component Test (MECT)
The MECT is a Missouri-only test of state law, required in addition to the national exams. It’s an open-book online test of 33 questions, and you need 28 correct to pass. You can retake it if you don’t pass. It’s based on the MBLE’s Missouri outlines on torts, civil procedure, real property, trusts, estates, family law, business associations, administrative law, Missouri courts, evidence, and trust account management.
You can take the MECT once you’ve submitted your bar application, and you must pass it no later than one year after you’re notified that you passed the bar exam. If you don’t pass the bar exam within two years of completing the MECT, you must take the MECT again.
Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)
The MPRE is a national ethics exam written by NCBE, and each state sets its own passing score. Missouri requires a scaled score of at least 80, and the MBLE must receive your certified score no later than one year after it notifies you that you passed the bar exam. Many students take the MPRE during law school. Register with NCBE.
Non-ABA and Foreign Law School Graduates
If your J.D. is from a law school the ABA hasn’t approved, you can petition to take the Missouri bar exam only if you’re already licensed by exam in another state, and you meet one of these conditions, under Rule 8.07(d):
- You’ve practiced law full time for three of the past five years
- You’ve completed 24 semester credit hours at an ABA-approved law school within the past three years
- You’ve earned an LL.M. from an ABA-approved law school
Graduates of law schools outside the U.S. have similar routes under Rule 8.07(e), and they must be admitted and in good standing in the country that granted their law degree. An LL.M. alone doesn’t qualify a foreign graduate. Confirm your eligibility with the MBLE before you apply.
Transferring a UBE Score
If you took the Uniform Bar Exam elsewhere, Missouri accepts a transferred score of 260 or higher on the legacy UBE, or 610 or higher on the NextGen exam, earned within the past five years, under Rule 8.09. The transfer application costs $1,500, and you still need to pass the MECT and meet the MPRE requirement. Missouri doesn’t accept an MBE score on its own.
If you might practice near the state line, check how other states license lawyers, since each one sets its own admission rules. For Missouri’s neighbors, compare the steps to become a lawyer in Iowa, the Nebraska lawyer licensing steps, and the requirements in Oklahoma.
Missouri Bar Pass Rates
The July 2026 exam was Missouri’s first NextGen administration. Here are the state’s recent results, according to NCBE:
| Exam | Overall Pass Rate | First-Time Takers | Repeat Takers |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 (NextGen) | 77% | 85% | 34% |
| February 2026 | 51% | 63% | 42% |
| July 2025 | 79% | 87% | 34% |
| February 2025 | 51% | 59% | 45% |
February rates run lower partly because more February takers are repeating the exam.
Admission on Motion
Admission on motion lets a lawyer licensed in another state join the Missouri bar without taking its bar exam. Under Rule 8.10, you qualify if you meet all of these requirements:
- You hold a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school
- You hold an active license in a jurisdiction that grants the same reciprocal admission to Missouri lawyers
- You pass the MBLE’s character and fitness review
- For at least five of the past 10 years, you’ve practiced law full time, served as a lawyer for the U.S. government or armed forces, taught full time at an ABA-approved law school, worked as in-house counsel, or combined these
- You complete Missouri’s continuing legal education requirement under Rule 15.05(d) within 90 days after the MBLE approves your character and fitness
The application fee is $1,500 as of November 2026. Rule 8 has other provisions too, including one for military spouses (Rule 8.106). Confirm the current list of reciprocal states with the MBLE before you apply.
Results, the Oath and Your License
The MBLE posts results to each applicant’s home page on its site. It doesn’t give results by phone, fax or email. Results for the July 2026 exam came out October 2, 2026, and results for the February 2027 exam are scheduled for April 30, 2027.
Under Rule 8.15, you must take the oath of admission within 90 days after the date of your letter of licensure. The Supreme Court of Missouri holds enrollment ceremonies in Jefferson City, and you can take the oath elsewhere instead and file an Oath Verification Form.
Keep Your Missouri License Active
Once you’re licensed, you’re a member of The Missouri Bar, the official bar association for every licensed lawyer in the state. It offers practice resources, including the Missouri Bar Practice Portal, along with continuing legal education courses and job listings.
Missouri had 24,843 resident, active lawyers as of the end of 2024, according to the ABA’s 2025 National Lawyer Population Survey. The St. Louis and Kansas City areas hold most of the state’s lawyer jobs, with 6,100 and 5,310 respectively in May 2025, according to the BLS.
Continuing Legal Education
Active Missouri lawyers must complete 15 hours of mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) each year, from July 1 through June 30, and report it by July 31. At least three of those hours must cover ethics, and at least one of the three must cover explicit or implicit bias, diversity, inclusion or cultural competency. Up to six hours can be self-study, but they can’t count toward ethics or bias hours. These are Missouri’s own requirements, and Rule 15 lists the exemptions that apply.
New lawyers get a break: under Rule 15.05(c), you owe no MCLE hours in the compliance year you’re first licensed, according to The Missouri Bar. Confirm your own reporting year with The Missouri Bar’s MCLE department.
Legal Specialty Certification
Missouri lawyers can earn board certification in a specialty from national organizations. The National Board of Trial Advocacy certifies lawyers in areas such as civil trial, criminal trial, and family trial law, and the American Board of Certification covers bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. Each requires an exam plus education and experience.
Missouri’s Court System
Missouri’s courts have three levels:
- Circuit courts (trial courts): Missouri has 46 judicial circuits, with at least one court in each county. They hear civil and criminal cases.
- Missouri Court of Appeals: the intermediate appellate court, with Eastern, Western, and Southern districts. A party who loses in circuit court can usually appeal here.
- Supreme Court of Missouri: the state’s highest court, in Jefferson City. It supervises all Missouri courts, hears some cases as a matter of right and takes others on transfer from the Court of Appeals.
Voluntary Bar Associations
Beyond the Missouri Bar, many lawyers join voluntary associations for networking and practice-area training:
- Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers
- Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys
- Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater St. Louis
- The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
- Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a lawyer in Missouri?
About seven years after high school. That’s four years for a bachelor’s degree and three for a full-time J.D., or about four for a part-time program. Add a few months of bar study and the wait for results, which took about nine weeks after the July 2026 exam.
Can you take the Missouri bar exam without going to law school?
No. For the standard route, Rule 8 requires a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school, and Missouri has no law office study or apprenticeship path. Rule 8.07 allows limited exceptions for graduates of non-ABA and foreign law schools who are already licensed elsewhere and meet extra conditions, such as years of practice or credits at an ABA-approved school.
What score do you need to pass the Missouri bar exam?
610 on the NextGen bar exam, which is scored from 500 to 750. You also need an MPRE score of at least 80 and a passing MECT result, which means 28 of 33 questions correct.
Does Missouri accept a UBE score from another state?
Yes. Missouri accepts a legacy UBE score of 260 or higher, or a NextGen score of 610 or higher, earned within the past five years. The transfer fee is $1,500 as of November 2026, and you still need to pass the MECT and meet the MPRE requirement.
Can a lawyer licensed in another state practice in Missouri?
Yes, through admission on motion, if your state grants reciprocal admission to Missouri lawyers and you’ve practiced for at least five of the past 10 years. If you don’t qualify, other routes may fit your background, such as transferring a UBE score or taking the Missouri bar exam, so check Rule 8 with the MBLE.
- The standard path: A bachelor’s degree, the LSAT (or another test your law school accepts), a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school, then the bar exam, the MECT and the MPRE, about seven years in all.
- A new bar exam: Missouri switched to the NextGen bar exam in July 2026, holds it in Columbia, and requires a score of 610.
- Register early: Filing the MBLE’s law student character and fitness application by the first June 30 of law school costs $240 and cuts your later bar exam fee.
- Missouri-specific test: The open-book MECT covers Missouri law and must be passed within a year after you pass the bar exam.
- After admission: Active Missouri lawyers complete 15 MCLE hours a year, including three ethics hours, starting the year after they’re licensed, subject to Rule 15’s exemptions.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Lawyers. Missouri job growth projections (2024-2034) are from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), published through the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed November 2026.
Missouri’s path to the bar starts with where you earn your J.D., since the standard route requires an ABA-approved law school. J.D. programs differ in schedule and format, including part-time options for people who are already working, so compare them on cost, length, and ABA approval before you apply.
