Admissions
To be licensed as a lawyer in Washington state, you must either take and pass the Washington State Bar Exam or be admitted through Reciprocity. Once admitted, you are a member of the WSBA and may practice law in Washington.
Uniform Bar Exam (UBE)
Washington begins using the Uniform Bar Exam July 2013.
Admission Options
The Bar Exam pages have information about the requirements for applying for and taking the Washington State Bar Exam for:
See the Qualifications page to find out if you qualify to take the Washington bar exam.
For all lawyers admitted to in another U.S. jurisdiction with a reciprocal admission rule.
Various programs for U.S. and foreign lawyers, law students, LPOs, and non-lawyers.
Character and Fitness
All applicants are subject to a character and fitness review prior to being admitted to practice law in Washington State. The practice of law is a privilege, not a right. Admission may be withheld pending a hearing before the Character and Fitness Board and final determination regarding whether the applicants have met their burden of proving that they are of good moral character and fit to practice law. Factors considered by Admissions staff and Bar Counsel when determining whether an applicant should be referred to the Character and Fitness Board are set forth in APR 24.2(a).
Washington strongly favors resolution of all character and fitness issues prior to sitting for the bar exam. Applicants with unresolved character and fitness issues may not be permitted to sit for the exam. Therefore, applicants who answer yes to questions 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 19, 20A, 21, 24, and/or 25 on the application or disclose any information that may raise an issue of character or fitness are strongly encouraged to file their applications early in the registration period.