# SCR 40.03: SCR 40.03. Legal competence requirement: Diploma > Wisconsin · Court rules · In force URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_03 ## Section - **Citation:** SCR 40.03 - **Heading:** SCR 40.03. Legal competence requirement: Diploma - **Jurisdiction:** Wisconsin - **Kind:** Court rules - **Status:** In force - **Text as of:** August 14, 2026 - **Source:** Compiled text - **Location:** Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules / SCR Chapter 40 - Admission to the Bar / SCR 40.03 ## Text 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. ## Nearby sections - [SCR 40.01 SCR 40.01. Definitions; list of law schools](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_01.md) - [SCR 40.02 SCR 40.02. Qualifications generally](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_02.md) - [SCR 40.03 SCR 40.03. Legal competence requirement: Diploma](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_03.md) - [SCR 40.05 SCR 40.05. Legal competence requirement: Proof of practice](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_05.md) - [SCR 40.06 SCR 40.06. Requirement as to character and fitness to](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_06.md) - [SCR 40.07 SCR 40.07. Proof of qualifications](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_07.md) - [SCR 40.08 SCR 40.08. Adverse determination](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_08.md) - [SCR 40.09 SCR 40.09. Deadline for admission](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_09.md) - [SCR 40.10 SCR 40.10. Waiver of requirements](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_10.md) - [SCR 40.11 SCR 40.11. Rulemaking authority](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_11.md) - [SCR 40.12 SCR 40.12. Confidentiality](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_12.md) - [SCR 40.13 SCR 40.13. Delegation](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_13.md) - [SCR 40.14 SCR 40.14. Application; fees](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_14.md) - [SCR 40.15 SCR 40.15. Attorney's oath](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_15.md) --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_WI_SCR40_R40_03. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.