Maryland's 2020 Uniform Bar Examination, initially set for July 28-29 at the Baltimore Convention Center, has been postponed. The Maryland Court of Appeals announced on May 26 that the exam is tentatively rescheduled for September 9-10 at multiple locations yet to be determined.
The decision was influenced by several factors, including the number of exam filings received by the May 20 deadline and discussions between the State Board of Law Examiners (SBLE) and the governor’s chief legal counsel. SBLE concluded it could not conduct a single-site bar exam in July.
The board's ability to hold the UBE in September will depend on COVID-19 conditions in Maryland and public health guidelines concerning gatherings and social distancing.
Applications submitted by the May 20 deadline will automatically carry over to September. There will be no new or extended application periods due to this postponement. Requests for late-filed applications will be handled according to Maryland Rule 19-206(d) and Board Rule 2.
The administrative order delaying the exam suspends Maryland Rule 19-203(b), which mandates scheduling exams each July and February.
To view the administrative order, visit: https://mdcourts.gov/sites/default/files/admin-orders/20200526postponementofthejuly2020marylandbarexamination.pdf.