April 1, 2026 – The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 24, adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), which provides the ability to transfer UBE scores from tests taken in other states.
The order, 2026 WI 9, marks the first enactment of a proposal from the Supreme Court’s Attorney Recruitment and Retention Committee Report and Recommendations released in November.
“Wisconsin is facing real challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified attorneys,” said Chief Justice Jill J. Karofsky. “This change reduces barriers to practice while maintaining the standards our courts and communities expect.
“It is a practical step that helps connect more attorneys with the people who need them.”
The order changes parts of Supreme Court Rule (SCR) chapter 40 governing admission to the bar, effective July 1, 2026.
The first bar examination in Wisconsin using the UBE will take place in July.
Transferability
The UBE, developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), offers the possibility that law school graduates taking the test in other states will be able to transfer their score to seek Wisconsin bar admission without taking an additional bar exam.
Jay D. Jerde, Mitchell Hamline 2006, is a legal writer for the State Bar of Wisconsin, Madison. He can be reached by email or by phone at (608) 250-6126.
Wisconsin is the 40th state to adopt the UBE.
The Supreme Court report viewed the UBE as a means of bringing in new lawyers to practice from nearby states.
“[G]iven that the decline in Wisconsin’s attorneys is most pronounced in areas that border neighboring states,” the report said, “adopting the UBE may expand options for recent graduates from adjacent states to become licensed in Wisconsin more readily.”
Under the new rule, a UBE score of at least 260 (out of 400 points) from a UBE taken within the past 36 months in another jurisdiction is good for transfer into Wisconsin. The transferred score replaces taking a bar exam in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin-Specific Law
The applicant will also be required to take 21 hours of Wisconsin law and practice education. The subjects are based on the requirements for diploma privilege in SCR 40.03.
Diploma privilege allows graduates from U.W. Law School and Marquette University Law School to apply for Wisconsin bar admission without taking a bar exam if the applicant successfully completed the prescribed law school courses.
The State Bar will offer the required educational hours, as approved by the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE).
“While the State Bar of Wisconsin hosts hundreds of Wisconsin-specific CLE programs, the new UBE pathway will prioritize a core set of 21 credits that establish a foundational grasp of Wisconsin’s distinctive legal framework,” said Theresa Elliott, State Bar director of professional development.
“This curated guidance will equip out-of-state attorneys with pertinent Wisconsin cases and outcomes to deepen their understanding of our unique law and its application.”
Applicants for Wisconsin bar admission have 12 months after receiving notification of a passing UBE score or within 12 months of filing an application for admission to transfer a UBE score to complete the educational component.
Costs of Admission
The bar examination fee will remain unchanged at $450. The fee to apply for Wisconsin bar admission with a transferred score will also be $450.
The rule change also commits Wisconsin to use the UBE successor test, the NextGen Bar Exam, starting in July 2028.
The final rule represents a change from the rule proposal submitted by the BBE on Dec. 17 in reducing the number of legal education hours required and doubling the time available to complete the educational requirement.
The rule, as modified, received unanimous approval from the Supreme Court in its concern for making it easy for lawyers to come to Wisconsin.
During the March 12 public hearing on the rule petition, Supreme Court justices questioned proposed limitations, such as the time to complete the educational component, the number of hours required, and fees.
“Let’s make this as cheap and easy as possible to get more lawyers in Wisconsin as soon as possible,” Justice Brian Hagedorn said – a refrain repeated in open administrative conference by Chief Justice Karofsky.
During the hearing, Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler likewise said, “We have legal deserts in Wisconsin. We need lawyers to come here.”
The Supreme Court requested input from the deans of Wisconsin’s two law schools about their opinions on the changed number of Wisconsin educational hours. Both deans wrote responses indicating approval.
Pathways to Wisconsin Practice
Most Wisconsin lawyers enter practice through diploma privilege. Lawyers who have proof of practice for three out of the past five years may also apply for admission.
UBE transferability will assist applicants who have practiced less than the years necessary for admission on practice.
The UBE will replace the existing Wisconsin Bar Exam, which included an essay component with questions about state-specific law and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), a multiple-choice test.
The UBE includes a Multistate Essay Examination (30%), a Multistate Practice Examination (20%), and the MBE (50%). States may change the weight of the components and create requirements covering state-specific law, the NCBE website explained.
All applicants for Wisconsin bar admission must pass BBE’s character and fitness evaluation.
