Lawyer Requirements by State
Lawyer requirements by state follow the same standard path in most states: a bachelor’s degree, a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school, a passing bar exam score, the MPRE, and a character and fitness review. States differ on the bar exam they give, routes outside law school, admission for lawyers licensed elsewhere, and continuing education.
Each state’s highest court usually sets its bar admission rules, but the office that handles your application and exam differs by state. It may be a board of law examiners, a committee of the court, or the state bar. That office sets the fees, deadlines, and exam you’ll sit. Choose your state to see its education, exam, and license requirements.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
How Many Lawyers Practice in the U.S.?
The American Bar Association (ABA) counted 1,374,720 resident, active lawyers in the U.S. in its 2025 National Lawyer Population Survey. That’s 1.38% more than in 2024. When the ABA’s records began in 1878, the count was 64,137.
Lawyer Salary and Job Outlook
Nationally, lawyers earned a median annual salary of $159,670 as of May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The top quarter of earners made $221,370 or more. That’s a national figure across all practice areas, and pay varies a lot by state and employer, so each state guide lists its own BLS figures.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers (May 2025) | $159,670 | $221,370 | $351,600 |
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.
The Standard Path to Becoming a Lawyer
Most lawyers follow the same path, and it takes about seven years after high school: four years of college and three of law school. It isn’t the only path. Some states accept other kinds of legal education, covered in the next section. Once you’re licensed, there are many types of lawyers you can become.
Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
ABA-approved law schools usually expect a bachelor’s degree from a college accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). No particular major is required. Law schools admit students from political science, English, history, business, economics, philosophy, and many other fields, so pick the pre-law major you’ll earn strong grades in.
Take an Admission Test
Most ABA-approved law schools require an admission test score. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is the most common, and many schools accept the GRE instead. Some schools also run ABA-approved test-optional admissions for part of a class, so check each school’s policy before you register. The LSAT has no passing score. It’s scored from 120 to 180, and each school weighs it alongside your GPA.
Starting with the August 2026 test, nearly everyone takes the multiple-choice LSAT in person at a Prometric test center. The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) allows remote testing only by exception, for example, for certain disability-related accommodations or for test takers who live far from a center. Check the LSAC test dates and exception rules before you plan your applications.
Earn a J.D. From an ABA-Approved Law School
A full-time Juris Doctor (J.D.) program usually takes three years, and part-time programs usually take four. Every U.S. jurisdiction accepts a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school as meeting its legal education requirement. It doesn’t guarantee admission on its own, though: you still have to pass that state’s exams and its character and fitness review.
Pass the MPRE and the Character and Fitness Review
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) tests the ethics rules lawyers must follow. Every U.S. jurisdiction requires it except Wisconsin and Puerto Rico. Connecticut and New Jersey also accept a passing grade in a law school professional responsibility course instead. Each jurisdiction sets its own passing score, from 75 to 86, and its own window for when the score counts. Register through the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), which writes the exam.
Every jurisdiction also runs a character and fitness review, a background investigation into your honesty, finances, and past conduct. Bar examiners may compare your bar application with your law school application, so answer both fully and consistently.
Pass Your State’s Bar Exam
After law school, most applicants apply to their state’s bar admission office to sit for the bar exam, which states usually give in late February and late July. Filing deadlines often fall months earlier. NCBE and the ABA publish an annual guide to bar admission requirements that sets out every jurisdiction’s rules, and your state guide links to the office that runs your exam.
Where State Requirements Differ
The standard path is shared, but lawyer requirements by state split on five rules. These are the ones to check first, as of November 2026.
| Requirement | What Most States Do | Notable Exceptions |
|---|---|---|
| Bar exam | Legacy Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), used in 41 jurisdictions in 2025 | NextGen UBE in 10 jurisdictions since July 2026, a state-written exam in states such as California, and diploma privilege in Wisconsin |
| MPRE | Required | Not required in Wisconsin or Puerto Rico, and a law school ethics course can replace it in Connecticut and New Jersey |
| Legal education | J.D. from an ABA-approved law school | Law office study in place of law school in California, Vermont, Virginia and Washington, and some non-ABA law schools in a few states |
| Lawyers licensed elsewhere | Take the state’s exam, transfer a UBE score, or apply for admission on motion | Each state sets its own score, time limit, and years-of-practice rules, and limited temporary practice is sometimes allowed |
| Continuing legal education | Required to keep your license | No ongoing hour requirement in Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, South Dakota, or D.C. |
Which Bar Exam You’ll Take
Most states still give the Uniform Bar Exam, a two-day exam written by NCBE whose score other UBE states accept. NCBE now calls it the legacy UBE, because the NextGen UBE replaces it in stages. Ten jurisdictions gave the NextGen UBE for the first time in July 2026, including Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington, and 13 more join in July 2027, Kentucky among them. The legacy UBE’s last administration is in February 2028. A few states still write their own exam, including California, Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana. Wisconsin also admits graduates of its two ABA-approved law schools through diploma privilege, without a bar exam. Check which exam your state gives before you choose bar prep.
Routes Without an ABA-Approved J.D.
California, Vermont, Virginia and Washington let you qualify through law office study, a supervised apprenticeship with a practicing lawyer or judge, in place of law school. New York and Maine allow a combination of law school and law office study instead. Some states, including Alabama, California, Massachusetts, and Tennessee, also accept graduates of certain law schools the ABA hasn’t approved, with conditions that differ by state. Other states may accept those graduates only after years of practice elsewhere. NCBE’s guide lists each state’s rules. If you might practice in another state later, an ABA-approved J.D. is the route every state accepts.
Practicing in a Second State
A license in one state doesn’t give you a general right to practice in another. To join a second state’s bar, you usually take its bar exam, transfer a UBE score earned within its time limit, or apply for admission on motion, which lets experienced lawyers in good standing join without a new exam. Admission on motion usually requires several years of recent practice. A score from one legacy UBE state, such as North Carolina, can count toward admission in another, such as Arkansas, if it meets that state’s minimum score and time limit. Some work doesn’t need a second full admission, though: courts can admit an out-of-state lawyer for one case (pro hac vice), many states allow limited temporary practice, and some federal practice depends on federal court or agency rules. Confirm the rules with the second state’s bar admission office.
Keeping Your License: Continuing Legal Education
Once you’re admitted, most states require continuing legal education (CLE), a set number of course hours every one to three years, often with ethics hours included. As of November 2026, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, South Dakota, and D.C. have no ongoing CLE hour requirement. That’s different from a one-time course: D.C., for example, requires new lawyers to take a course on its professional conduct rules. Maryland’s Supreme Court has studied adopting mandatory CLE, so check your state bar for the current hours and reporting deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the bar exam the same in every state?
No. Most states give the legacy Uniform Bar Exam, but 10 jurisdictions moved to the NextGen UBE in July 2026, and a few states such as California write their own exam. Each state also sets its own passing score, so check your state’s bar admission office before you register.
Can you become a lawyer without going to law school?
Yes, in four states. California, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington allow law office study, a supervised apprenticeship with a practicing lawyer or judge, in place of law school. New York and Maine allow some law office study combined with law school. You still take the bar exam, and a license earned this way may not transfer to other states.
Can I practice law in another state with my license?
Not generally. To join another state’s bar, you usually take its bar exam, transfer a Uniform Bar Exam score within its time limit, or apply for admission on motion. For a single case, a court may admit you pro hac vice, and some states allow limited temporary practice. Each state sets its own rules.
How long does it take to meet lawyer requirements?
Most people take about seven years after high school: four years for a bachelor’s degree and three for a full-time J.D. Add a few months for the bar exam and the character and fitness review. Part-time J.D. programs usually add a year.
- A shared standard path: Most applicants need a J.D., the MPRE, a character and fitness review, and a passing bar exam score, though exceptions and alternative pathways vary by jurisdiction.
- Your state decides: Each state’s highest court usually sets the rules, but the office that runs admission differs, so confirm fees and deadlines with your state’s bar admission office.
- Exams are changing: The NextGen UBE started in 10 jurisdictions in July 2026, while 41 jurisdictions used the legacy UBE in 2025.
- Few routes skip law school: Only California, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington allow law office study in place of a J.D.
- A license is state-specific: Joining a second state’s bar takes its exam, a UBE score transfer or admission on motion, with limited exceptions such as pro hac vice.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Lawyers. Figures reflect 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.
The law school you choose shapes where you can sit for the bar. A J.D. from an ABA-approved school meets the legal education requirement in every state, and the programs listed on this page differ in cost and format, including part-time options for people who are already working.
