How to Become a Lawyer in Nevada
To become a lawyer in Nevada, most people earn a bachelor’s degree and a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school, then get licensed through the Nevada Plan: two Nevada exams (the Foundational Law Exam and Lawyering Performance Exam), supervised practice, an MPRE score of at least 85, and a character and fitness review. Nevada has no reciprocity.
The biggest change in Nevada is the licensing exam. The traditional bar exam was given in July 2026 for the last scheduled time, and applicants seeking a license after that go through the Nevada Plan, subject to the Supreme Court’s transition rules. A guide that still describes the MBE and Nevada essay questions is out of date. Under the new system, you can start two of the four licensing requirements while you’re still in law school.
- Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
- Take the LSAT or Another Accepted Admissions Test
- Graduate from an ABA-Approved Law School
- Get Licensed Through the Nevada Plan
- Keep Your Nevada License Active
Lawyer Pay and Jobs in Nevada
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, lawyers in Nevada earned a median annual salary of $150,510 as of May 2025. That’s a little below the national median of $159,670. Reno pays more than the state as a whole, and most of Nevada’s lawyers work in the Las Vegas metro area.
| Area | Lawyers Employed | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada (statewide) | 6,490 | $150,510 |
| Carson City, NV | 170 | $142,500 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 5,480 | $150,510 |
| Reno, NV | 630 | $163,380 |
These figures cover lawyers in every practice area and type of employer. BLS doesn’t publish Nevada pay by specialty, and pay varies widely by firm size and practice area.
Nevada’s long-term workforce projections, published through the Projections Central program, estimate a 7.5% change in employment for lawyers in Nevada between 2024 and 2034, with an average of 280 openings per year. Nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of lawyers to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 28,700 openings each year, according to its Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
The State Bar of Nevada doesn’t require any particular undergraduate major. It does require a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school under Nevada Supreme Court Rule 51, and ABA-approved law schools generally require a bachelor’s degree before you enroll. So a four-year degree is your first step.
Accreditation
Law schools expect your bachelor’s degree to come from an accredited college or university. You can check whether a school’s accreditor is recognized in the U.S. Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs.
Choosing a Major and Courses
Neither the ABA nor the State Bar of Nevada sets a pre-law major. Some colleges offer one, but law schools admit students from every field. Pick a major you’ll earn strong grades in, since your GPA and LSAT score carry the most weight in admissions.
Courses that make you read closely, write clearly, and argue a position may help in law school. Good options include history, political science, economics, philosophy, and communication.
Take the LSAT or Another Accepted Admissions Test
The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is a law school admissions test, not part of Nevada’s licensing process. Most ABA-approved law schools ask for an LSAT score, and some also accept another admissions test, such as the GRE, so check each school’s admissions page. There’s no passing score. Schools compare your score with those of the students they admit.
What the LSAT Covers
Since August 2024, the LSAT has had two scored Logical Reasoning sections, one scored Reading Comprehension section, and one unscored section, each 35 minutes long. The old Analytical Reasoning section (“logic games”) is gone. You also complete LSAT Argumentative Writing separately. It isn’t scored, but schools see it, and LSAC won’t release a first-time test taker’s score until it’s done.
LSAC has announced another change starting with the August 2027 LSAT: the unscored questions will be built into the scored sections, and every test will open with Reading Comprehension. Check which format applies to your test date.
How to Register and Prepare
You register through your account with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). As of November 2026:
- The LSAT fee is $253 for the August 2026 to June 2027 testing year (LSAC fees)
- LSAC offers the test eight times a year in the U.S. See the LSAT dates and deadlines
- Starting with the August 2026 LSAT, nearly all test takers sit for it at a test center, with limited exceptions for medical accommodations and people who live far from a center
LSAC’s free LawHub platform has official practice tests in the current format. Start there before you pay for a prep course.
Scores and What UNLV Expects
LSAT scores run from 120 to 180. LSAC posts them online on a set release date about three weeks after the test, and you can find each date on its calendar. UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law reported a median LSAT of 160 and a median undergraduate GPA of 3.76 for the class that entered in fall 2025, in its ABA-required disclosures.
Graduate from an ABA-Approved Law School
ABA Approval and the Nevada Rule
Nevada requires a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school to start the licensing process. The school can be in any state. The ABA has approved 198 law schools and programs that grant a first degree in law, all listed on its approved law schools page. Graduates of non-ABA and foreign law schools have a separate path, explained in Step 4.
Applying Through the Credential Assembly Service
Most ABA-approved schools require you to apply through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS), an LSAC service that collects your transcripts, letters of recommendation, LSAT score, and writing sample and sends them to each school you apply to. As of November 2026, CAS costs $219, plus $45 for each law school report (LSAC fees). CAS fees aren’t refundable.
Nevada’s ABA-Approved Law School
Nevada has one ABA-approved law school:
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154
Because there’s only one school in the state, many Nevada applicants also apply out of state. A J.D. from any ABA-approved school meets Nevada’s education requirement.
What You’ll Study
ABA-approved schools cover the core subjects bar exams test, such as Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Property, Torts, and Professional Responsibility. The State Bar publishes what each Nevada Plan exam covers on its Nevada Plan page. Check it before you choose upper-level electives.
Online and Hybrid J.D. Programs
A few ABA-approved schools offer hybrid J.D. programs that combine online classes with short on-campus sessions. Nevada accepts only a J.D. from an ABA-approved school, so confirm a program is on the ABA’s list before you enroll. Online law and legal studies programs that don’t lead to an ABA-approved J.D. suit other legal careers, not licensure as a lawyer.
Clinics and Externships
Most ABA-approved schools offer clinics, externships with courts or government agencies, and placements with legal aid groups. In Nevada, this work does double duty: law school clinics, externships, and approved legal aid placements can count toward the Supervised Practice Program, one of the four parts of your license.
Joint Degree Programs
Some students earn a second degree alongside the J.D. UNLV offers these dual programs:
- J.D./Master of Business Administration
- J.D./Master of Social Work
- J.D./Ph.D. in Education
Get Licensed Through the Nevada Plan
The Supreme Court of Nevada sets the rules for admission to practice law, and the State Bar of Nevada and its Board of Bar Examiners run the licensing process under those rules. The court approved the Nevada Comprehensive Licensing Examination, which the State Bar calls the Nevada Plan, on May 23, 2025, and its rules took effect January 19, 2026. The traditional bar exam, with its Nevada essays, Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), and Nevada Performance Tests, was given in July 2026 for the last scheduled time. As of November 2026, applicants seeking a license after that sitting go through the Nevada Plan, subject to the court’s transition rules.
Nevada doesn’t use the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) or the NCBE’s new NextGen bar exam (NCBE). The Nevada Plan has four requirements. Three are Nevada’s own: the Foundational Law Exam (FLE) and the Lawyering Performance Exam (LPE), both written by the Nevada Board of Bar Examiners, and the Supervised Practice Program. The fourth is the MPRE, a national ethics exam, with a passing score set by Nevada. You register for the Nevada components through the State Bar’s online application, which you can open any time after you start law school, and you can complete them in any order within the time limit.
| Component | When You Can Take It | Format | Fee (Non-Attorney) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundational Law Exam (FLE) | After 42 law school credits | 100 multiple-choice questions, closed book, on computer | $150 |
| Supervised Practice Program (SPP) | After 42 law school credits | At least 40 hours of supervised legal work, at least four qualifying tasks, plus a learning and journaling project | $350 |
| Lawyering Performance Exam (LPE) | After graduation (first exam January 19, 2027) | Three performance tests over two sessions, six hours total | $265 |
| MPRE | Any time during law school, within the time window | National ethics exam run by the NCBE | $185 (paid to the NCBE) |
Fees are from the State Bar’s Nevada Plan fee schedule and the NCBE, as of November 2026. Applicants already licensed in another state pay more ($325 for the FLE and $500 for the LPE). Late registration adds $150 per component, and no fees are refunded.
The Foundational Law Exam
The FLE is a Nevada exam that tests core legal knowledge in 100 multiple-choice questions. It’s closed-book and taken on a computer at Prometric test centers anywhere in the U.S., so you don’t have to travel to Nevada for it. You can register once you’ve earned 42 credits at an ABA-approved law school, or once the Committee on Functional Equivalency has approved you. The Nevada Board of Bar Examiners writes and scores it, and the State Bar publishes the passing score and upcoming test dates on its FLE page. The first FLE was given in May 2026, and more administrations are scheduled through 2027.
The Supervised Practice Program
The Supervised Practice Program requires at least 40 hours of supervised legal work with an approved provider or supervising lawyer, under Supreme Court Rule 66. You can complete it through law school clinics, externships, or approved legal aid providers once you’ve earned 42 credits. Judicial clerkships don’t count. Hours alone aren’t enough. You must also:
- Perform at least four qualifying tasks, one of which must be interviewing or counseling a client
- Complete a self-directed learning project and journaling requirement
- Have your supervisor certify that you finished the program
Applicants with more than six continuous months of active, licensed practice in a U.S. jurisdiction during the past two years can be exempted. The exemption isn’t automatic: you request it from the State Bar and document your practice.
The Lawyering Performance Exam
The LPE is a Nevada exam of three performance tests, given in two sessions totaling six hours. Each test asks you to complete a lawyering task from a case file, and any area of law may come up. You take it after you graduate from law school, and you can take it before you’ve passed the FLE. The first LPE is scheduled for January 19, 2027, and the State Bar plans to offer it twice a year, with a second 2027 date of June 22.
The MPRE
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a national ethics exam run by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), offered three times a year. It isn’t a Nevada exam, but Nevada sets the passing score it accepts: a scaled score of at least 85. Your passing score must come no earlier than three years before, and no later than three years after, the year you pass the LPE.
Character and Fitness Review
Character and fitness is the State Bar’s review of your background, including honesty, financial responsibility, and any criminal or disciplinary record, to decide whether you’re fit to practice law. Under the Nevada Plan, you file the character and fitness application ($140 for non-attorneys) after you’ve finished three of the four components and registered for the last one. The State Bar’s admissions forms page lists what to send:
- Fingerprint Background Waiver Form (submit it first to get your fingerprinting instructions)
- Authorization and Release Form
- Application Verification Form
- Fingerprint card, using the State Bar’s current sample card
Time Limits
You must finish every component within a six-year window: from three years before to three years after the year you pass the LPE. There’s no limit on how many times you can take an exam. Contact the State Bar of Nevada Admissions Department at 3100 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 100, Las Vegas, NV 89102, phone 702-382-2200, or through its admissions page, and confirm current deadlines there before you register.
Pass Rates
These are overall pass rates for Nevada’s last traditional bar exams, from the State Bar’s exam results and the NCBE. The State Bar labels its 2023 to February 2025 figures unofficial.
| Exam | Overall Pass Rate |
|---|---|
| July 2026 (last traditional exam) | 50% |
| February 2026 | 56% |
| July 2025 | 62% |
| February 2025 | 46% |
| July 2024 | 65% |
| February 2024 | 49% |
| July 2023 | 63% |
| February 2023 | 53% |
First-time takers pass at higher rates than repeat takers: 68% against 38% in February 2026, and 56% against 17% in July 2026. The first Foundational Law Exam, in May 2026, had an unofficial pass rate of 76%. It’s a different exam, so don’t compare it directly with the old bar exam figures.
Lawyers Licensed in Another State
Nevada offers no reciprocity and no admission on motion, and it won’t accept a transferred UBE or MBE score from another state (State Bar of Nevada). Licensed lawyers complete the FLE, LPE, and MPRE like everyone else, and can request the supervised practice exemption described above if they qualify. Every state sets its own admission rules, so if you’re comparing options, see how to become a lawyer in another state. If you might also practice in a neighboring state, check Utah’s lawyer licensing steps, Idaho’s requirements for lawyers, and Oregon’s path to bar admission too.
Graduates of Non-ABA and Foreign Law Schools
If your J.D. isn’t from an ABA-approved school, or you studied law outside the U.S., you must be certified by the State Bar’s Committee on Functional Equivalency under Supreme Court Rule 51.5 before you apply for any component. The rule sets out specific categories of eligible applicants, such as lawyers who have practiced full-time for at least 10 of the past 12 years in another jurisdiction, and graduates of English-language common-law schools abroad. Revised rules took effect April 11, 2025, and the petition fee is $750. Read the requirements on the State Bar’s admission requirements page before you petition.
Keep Your Nevada License Active
Once you’re sworn in, your main ongoing requirement is yearly continuing legal education. Some new lawyers also have a mentoring requirement that’s being phased out.
The Transitioning into Practice (TIP) Program
The State Bar’s Transitioning into Practice (TIP) program has required new Nevada lawyers with less than five years of practice elsewhere to complete about six months of mentoring after admission. The Supreme Court of Nevada has approved discontinuing TIP because the Nevada Plan’s supervised practice covers the same ground. Lawyers who remain subject to the old TIP requirement must finish it by December 31, 2027 (State Bar of Nevada). If you’re licensed through the Nevada Plan, confirm with the State Bar whether any TIP requirement applies to you.
Continuing Legal Education
Nevada lawyers must complete 13 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) each year, due December 31 (Nevada Board of CLE):
- 10 hours of general credit
- 2 hours of ethics and professional conduct
- 1 hour on substance abuse, addictive disorders, or mental health
Some lawyers are exempt, including newly admitted lawyers for the year they’re admitted and the next full calendar year. The exemptions are set out in Nevada Supreme Court Rule 214, so check whether one applies to you.
Where Nevada Lawyers Work
Nevada lawyers work in private law firms, government offices such as district attorneys’ and public defenders’ offices, corporate legal departments, and legal aid organizations. About 5,480 of the state’s 6,490 lawyers worked in the Las Vegas metro area in May 2025, according to BLS employment figures.
Local and specialty bar associations are a common way to find mentors and job leads. The State Bar lists them on its affiliate bar associations page, and its pro bono page connects lawyers with volunteer cases.
Specialty Certification
Specialty certification is optional and separate from your license to practice law. Under Nevada Rule of Professional Conduct 7.4, you can call yourself a specialist only if an approved organization has certified you in that field, and you must name the certifying organization in any advertising (Nevada Rules of Professional Conduct). Nevada accepts ABA-accredited certification programs and has approved its own programs in family law, tax law, workers’ compensation, and personal injury. The ABA lists the options on its Nevada specialization page.
Nevada’s Court System
Nevada has five levels of courts, as described by the Nevada judiciary:
| Court | What It Handles |
|---|---|
| Supreme Court of Nevada | The state’s highest court, with seven justices |
| Court of Appeals | An intermediate appeals court with three judges, operating since 2014 |
| District Courts | General trial courts in 11 judicial districts, including civil cases over $15,000 |
| Justice Courts | Civil cases up to $15,000, small claims up to $10,000, and early review of felony cases |
| Municipal Courts | Violations of city ordinances and other limited city matters |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Nevada still use the MBE?
No. The July 2026 bar exam was the last scheduled administration of the traditional exam, which included the Multistate Bar Examination. Applicants after that go through the Nevada Plan, subject to the court’s transition rules: the Nevada-written Foundational Law Exam and Lawyering Performance Exam, supervised practice, and the national MPRE.
How long does it take to become a lawyer in Nevada?
Plan on about seven years after high school: four years for a bachelor’s degree and three for a full-time J.D. You can take the Foundational Law Exam and start supervised practice once you’ve earned 42 law school credits, so the main step left after graduation is the Lawyering Performance Exam, first given January 19, 2027, and planned twice a year.
Can I transfer my UBE score to Nevada?
No. Nevada doesn’t accept transferred UBE or MBE scores and has no admission on motion. Lawyers licensed in other states complete the Nevada Plan exams and the MPRE, though they can request an exemption from supervised practice if they have more than six continuous months of active practice in a U.S. jurisdiction in the past two years.
Can I become a lawyer in Nevada without going to an ABA-approved law school?
Only through a narrow exception. Graduates of non-ABA and foreign law schools must be certified by the State Bar’s Committee on Functional Equivalency under Supreme Court Rule 51.5 before they can apply for any part of the Nevada Plan.
How much does it cost to get licensed in Nevada?
For a non-attorney applicant, the State Bar’s fees as of November 2026 add up to $905: $150 for the FLE, $350 for supervised practice, $265 for the LPE, and $140 for the character and fitness application. The MPRE adds $185, paid to the NCBE, for a total of $1,090 before late fees or retakes.
- Education: The standard path is a bachelor’s degree and a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school, and UNLV’s Boyd School of Law is the only one in Nevada.
- New exam system: After the last traditional bar exam in July 2026, applicants go through the Nevada Plan: two Nevada exams (the FLE and LPE), supervised practice, and the national MPRE.
- Start early: The FLE and supervised practice open after 42 law school credits, and every component must fit in a six-year window.
- No shortcuts for licensed lawyers: Nevada has no reciprocity and doesn’t accept UBE or MBE scores from other states.
- After admission: Plan on 13 hours of CLE a year. The TIP mentoring program is being discontinued, with a December 31, 2027 deadline for lawyers still subject to it.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Lawyers. Job growth projections (2024-2034) are from 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. National job outlook figures (2025-2035) are from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
With only one ABA-approved law school in Nevada, most applicants weigh schools in other states too. Compare each J.D. program’s ABA status, part-time or hybrid options and clinic offerings, since Nevada’s Foundational Law Exam and supervised practice both start while you’re still in law school.
