Louisiana
Bar Exam Details

You may have already created your application portal account during your 2L year when you registered with the Law Student Registration Program. You’ll need to access your online application portal account to apply for the Louisiana Bar Exam or to submit any other application.  

Create or access your portal account here: lascba.org/login.aspx

All law students are required to create an NCBE Account that comes with a unique NCBE Number for identification purposes. You will need this number to be able to complete the NCBE Character Report Application. You may have already completed your Character Report Application during your 2L year.

Most students create an NCBE account when registering for the MPRE. Register with the NCBE at: auth.ncbex.org/account/create

We recommend taking the MPRE any time during 2L year or as early in your 3L year as possible. A scaled score of 80 on the MPRE is required for admission to the Louisiana bar. Scores are scaled and range from 50 to 150. A raw score of approximately 30 correct out of 50 usually converts to a scaled score of 80. Your passing MPRE score report must be submitted to the Louisiana Supreme Court Committee on Bar Admissions (LASCBA) through the NCBE website.

The MPRE is a two-hour, 60-question, multiple-choice exam developed by the NCBE and administered in the spring, summer, and fall. When registering for the MPRE, students can select one of two dates offered at a time (see chart below) on a first come, first served basis. 

MPRE Dates (Registration Deadline / *Accommodation Registration Deadline):

• March 24 or 25, 2026 (January 22, 2025 / *November 20, 2025)
• August 11 or 12, 2026 (June 11, 2026 / *April 23, 2026)
• November 12 or 13, 2026 (September 17, 2026 / *July 30, 2026)

Registration for 2026 exams will open on December 16, 2025. The 2026 exam fee is $185.

The online, on-demand BARBRI MPRE Review course allows you to watch specific lecture segments that correspond with a particular topic module. The course is accompanied by an outline book (hard copy and/or digital), lecture handout, multiple practice exams, and BARBRI’s exclusive multiple-choice questions. You can register for the free BARBRI MPRE Review Course here: barbri.com/mpre

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Enroll early and gain immediate access to 2L/3L Exam Success and early access to Early Start Bar Review. Enroll at: barbri.com/pricing.

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Apply for the Louisiana Bar Exam and pay your filing fee. Don’t forget to include your notarized Authorization and Release form with your application. You’ll also need to print and sign your Dean Certification form and mail to your law school.

Filing deadlines:

February 2026

• Application Dates: Sept. 1–Nov. 1, 2025
• Late Filing Dates: Nov. 2–Dec. 15 2025

July 2026

• Application Dates: Dec. 1, 2025–Feb. 1, 2026
• Late Filing Dates: Feb. 2–May 15, 2026

Bar exam fee:   

• Timely registration for first-time applicants: $975  
• Late fee: + $850

Bar exam fees for Louisiana law students:

• Exam fee (for participants in the 2nd year law student registration program): $850
• Late fee (if student didn’t participate in the law student registration program): $350

Additional resources:

• See LASCBA website for late filing info at: lascba.org/info/appRequirements/#la
• Find helpful bar exam information and schedules at: lascba.org/info/BarExam/#partI

For more information and exam details, download the free BARBRI Bar Exam Digest at: barbri.com/bar-exam-digest or by scanning the code.

Once you’ve registered with the Law Student Registration Program, you’ll need to file an NCBE Character Report Application. Concurrent with your bar exam application, you will submit your bar exam Character and Fitness information via a supplemental Character and Fitness Report through the NCBE.

The LASCBA also requires a state and federal background check and fingerprinting from each applicant.

You will be asked to disclose details about your academic, work, and financial history as well as any criminal record and civil proceedings. Candor is key. You will also need to include references, your final law school transcripts, driving record, birth certificate, passport, and fingerprints.

Find additional character and fitness (including background check and fingerprinting) details at: lascba.org/info/ CharacterAndFitness/#overview

The Louisiana Bar includes a significant writing component, and we strongly encourage you to use a laptop for maximum efficiency.

You will receive laptop registration information from the LASCBA within 30 days of the bar exam. It is important that you follow registration instructions and pay the laptop fee at that time.

The Louisiana Bar Exam is administered over three days, twice a year.  

Dates are: 

• Winter 2026 dates: Monday February 23, Wednesday February 25, and Friday February 27
• Summer 2026 dates: Monday July 20, Wednesday July 22, and Friday July 24

The Louisiana Bar is a nine-part, primarily essay exam. Each of the nine sections is worth 100 points and is comprised of 2-3 essays and a set of 10-20 multiple choice questions. Students must earn a total weighted score of 650 (out of 900) to achieve a passing score. Code subjects carry twice the weight of Non-code subjects.

Essay subjects:

• Code:
  Civil Code I (Persons, Community Property, Property, Acquisitive Prescription)
  Civil Code II (Successions, Donations, Trusts)
  Civil Code III (Liberative Prescription, Obligations, Contracts, Sales, Leases,  Civil Law Security Rights, other)
  Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure
  Torts
• Non-Code:
  Business Entities
  Constitutional Law
  Criminal Law, Procedure, and Evidence
  Federal Jurisdiction and Procedure