SCR 40.03. Legal competence requirement: Diploma

Legal competence requirement: Diploma

privilege. An applicant who has been awarded a first professional

degree in law from a law school in this state that is fully, not

provisionally, approved by the American bar association shall satisfy

the legal competence requirement by presenting to the clerk

certification of the board showing:

(1) Satisfactory completion of legal studies leading to the first

professional degree in law. The law school shall certify to the board

satisfactory completion of not less than 84 semester credits earned by

the applicant for purposes of the degree awarded.

(2) Satisfactory completion of study in mandatory and elective

subject matter areas. The law school shall certify to the board

satisfactory completion of not less than 60 semester credits in the

mandatory and elective subject matter areas as provided in (a) and (b).

All semester credits so certified shall have been earned in regular law

school courses having as their primary and direct purpose the study of

rules and principles of substantive and procedural law as they may

arise in the courts and administrative agencies of the United States and

this state.

(a)

Elective subject matter areas; 60-credit rule.

Not less than 60 semester credits shall have been earned in

regular law school courses in the subject matter areas generally known

as: Administrative law, appellate practice and procedure, commercial

transactions,

conflict

of

laws,

constitutional

law,

contracts,

corporations, creditors' rights, criminal law and procedure, damages,

domestic relations, equity, evidence, future interests, insurance,

jurisdiction of courts, legislation, labor law, ethics and legal

responsibilities of the profession, partnership, personal property,

pleading and practice, public utilities, quasi-contracts, real property,

taxation, torts, trade regulation, trusts, and wills and estates

creditors' rights, criminal law and procedure, damages,

domestic relations, equity, evidence, future interests, insurance,

jurisdiction of courts, legislation, labor law, ethics and legal

responsibilities of the profession, partnership, personal property,

pleading and practice, public utilities, quasi-contracts, real property,

taxation, torts, trade regulation, trusts, and wills and estates. The

60-credit subject matter requirement may be satisfied by combinations

of the curricular offerings in each approved law school in this state.

(b)

Mandatory subject matter areas; 30-credit rule.

Not less than 30 of the 60 semester credits shall have been

earned in regular law school courses in each of the following subject

matter areas: constitutional law, contracts, criminal law and procedure,

evidence, jurisdiction of courts, ethics and legal responsibilities of the

legal profession, pleading and practice, real property, torts, and wills

and estates.

(c)

Law school certification of subject matter content of

curricular offerings.

Upon the request of the supreme court, the dean of each such

law school shall file with the clerk a certified statement setting forth the

courses taught in the law school which satisfy the requirements for a

first professional degree in law, together with a statement of the

percentage of time devoted in each course to the subject matter of the

areas of law specified in this rule.

SCR

40.04

Legal

competence

requirement:

Bar

examination.

(1) An applicant who has been awarded a first professional

degree in law from one of the following shall satisfy the legal

competence requirement by presenting to the clerk certification of the

board that the applicant has passed an examination administered by the

board covering all or part of the subject matter areas of law specified in

SCR 40.03(2)(a):

(a) A law school that is fully or provisionally approved by the

American bar association at the time of the applicant’s graduation.

shall satisfy the legal

competence requirement by presenting to the clerk certification of the

board that the applicant has passed an examination administered by the

board covering all or part of the subject matter areas of law specified in

SCR 40.03(2)(a):

(a) A law school that is fully or provisionally approved by the

American bar association at the time of the applicant’s graduation.

(b) A law school whose graduates are eligible to take the bar

examination of the state, territory or District of Columbia in which

the law school is located, provided the applicant has passed the bar

examination of and has been admitted to practice in that or another

state, territory or the District of Columbia.

(2) Commencing in July 2026, the board shall administer the

Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) prepared by the National

Conference of Bar Examiners. Commencing in July 2028, the board

shall administer the successor to the UBE prepared by the National

Conference of Bar Examiners.

(3) An applicant shall file all application materials and fees with

the board by the December 1 preceding the February examination and

by the May 1 preceding the July examination except that, on payment

of a late fee, application materials and fees shall be filed by the January

1 preceding the February examination and by the June 1 preceding the

July examination.

(3m) An applicant who seeks testing accommodation shall

submit with the application a written request that shall describe the

type of accommodation requested and the reasons for the requested

accommodation, including medical documentation. If the request is

denied in whole or in part, the board's response shall state the reasons.

Denial of a request for testing accommodation, in whole or in part,

constitutes an adverse determination that may be appealed pursuant to

SCR 40.08(6) and (7).

t that shall describe the

type of accommodation requested and the reasons for the requested

accommodation, including medical documentation. If the request is

denied in whole or in part, the board's response shall state the reasons.

Denial of a request for testing accommodation, in whole or in part,

constitutes an adverse determination that may be appealed pursuant to

SCR 40.08(6) and (7).

(4) The board, in its discretion, may permit an applicant who

has not yet been awarded a first professional degree in law to take the

examination if it is reasonably anticipated that the applicant will

receive that degree within 60 days after the examination.

(5) Repealed.

(6) The board shall provide to each applicant prior to the

examination a list of topics taken from the areas of law specified in

SCR 40.03(2)(a) from which the essay portion of the examination will

be drawn.

(7) The board shall establish the passing score for the bar

examination in advance of each examination and shall advise each

applicant of the score so established.

(8) An unsuccessful examinee who files a written request with

the board within 90 days of mailing of notice by the board of failure of

the examination shall be entitled to inspect the examinee's essay

examination paper.

(9) Commencing in July 2026, an applicant may be eligible for

admission provided the applicant has received a scaled score of 260 or

higher earned in another jurisdiction on the UBE and the score is

certified as a UBE score by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

The applicant shall submit evidence of the score and a complete

application for admission to the Board within 36 months of the date of

the qualifying examination being used as the basis for the admission.

(10) (a) Before being admitted to the practice of law in

Wisconsin by UBE examination or by transferred UBE score, an

applicant shall successfully complete 21 hours of the Wisconsin law

and practice educational component.

of the score and a complete

application for admission to the Board within 36 months of the date of

the qualifying examination being used as the basis for the admission.

(10) (a) Before being admitted to the practice of law in

Wisconsin by UBE examination or by transferred UBE score, an

applicant shall successfully complete 21 hours of the Wisconsin law

and practice educational component.

(b) The Wisconsin law and practice educational component shall

be completed no later than 12 months after receiving notification of a

passing UBE score or within 12 months of filing an application for

admission via an eligible UBE transfer score.

(c) The Wisconsin law and practice educational component shall

be comprised of subject matter areas based on the requirements of the

diploma privilege as found in SCR 40.03 and approved by the board.