BAR ADMISSIONS
West Virginia NextGen UBE Implementation Date – July 2028
The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has approved July 2028 as the date for West Virginia's first administration of the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination.
Following a recommendation by the West Virginia Board of Law Examiners and the West Virginia University College of Law, and upon further consideration by the Court, the previously announced July 2027 implementation date has been revised to July 2028.
West Virginia will continue to administer the current Uniform Bar Examination through February 2028 and will transition to the NextGen UBE beginning with the July 2028 examination.
For more information about the NextGen UBE, please visit NextGen Bar Exam | NCBE.
West Virginia Establishes NextGen UBE Score for Portability
The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has approved the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination (NextGen UBE) score conversion chart developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) for portability purposes.
With this approval, a NextGen UBE score of 620 will be accepted as equivalent to a score of 270 on the current Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) for purposes of transferring a score into West Virginia under the Rules for Admission to the Practice of Law.
During the national transition period, while both the current UBE (Legacy Exam) and the NextGen UBE are administered, West Virginia will accept qualifying transferred scores from either examination. Applicants may seek admission by transferred UBE score with:
- a score of 270 or higher on the Legacy UBE; or
- a score of 620 or higher on the NextGen UBE.
This ensures that applicants who test in jurisdictions administering either version of the examination remain eligible for admission in West Virginia by transferred score.
For additional information regarding admission by transferred UBE score, please visit Bar Applications - Instructions for Applicants Applying by Transferred UBE Score.
The West Virginia Board of Law Examiners (WVBLE) consists of seven members of the West Virginia State Bar who are appointed by the Supreme Court of Appeals. The Board represents different geographical regions of West Virginia. Board members serve seven-year terms and may be reappointed by the Court for additional terms.
The Board evaluates educational background, credentials, character and fitness and competence of each applicant for admission to the practice of law in West Virginia under the Supreme Court Rules for Admission.
Applicants can seek admission by examination (Rule 3.0), admission without examination (Rule 4.0), admission by UBE transfer (Rule 3.5), as resident professors of law (Rule 4.6), or they can seek temporary admission as military spouse attorneys (Rule 4.7), military legal assistance (Rule 4.8), or limited permission for indigent legal services or public defender program attorneys (Rule 9.0).
Two full-time staff members serve as the Board's liaisons to applicants for admission, the general public and agencies requiring bar admissions assistance and information. The Bar Admissions Administrator and Deputy Administrator:
- Oversee the Board's daily operations and bi-annual meetings;
- Provide records maintenance and monitoring throughout the application process;
- Coordinate character and fitness investigations by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, the District Character Committees and the Board of Law Examiners;
- Administer the bar examination;
- Provide certification of the eligibility of individual applicants to the Supreme Court Clerk; and
- Coordinate swearing-in ceremonies before the Supreme Court of Appeals.
CONTACT INFORMATION
WVBLE
WV Judicial Tower, Suite 700 B
4700 MacCorkle Ave., SE
Charleston, WV 25304
(304) 558-7815
STAFF DIRECTORY
Ashton Bias Harrell
Bar Admissions Administrator
(304) 558-2480
ashton.bias@courtswv.gov
Jody A. Meadows
Deputy Bar Admissions Administrator
(304) 558-7815
jody.meadows@courtswv.gov
BOARD MEMBERS
Brent Everett Wear, President
Wheeling, W.Va.
Thomas Truman, Vice-President
Daniels, W.Va.
Susan R. Snowden
Martinsburg, W.Va.
Ancil G. Ramey
Huntington, W.Va.
Katherine B. Capito
Charleston, W.Va.
Lee Murray Hall
Huntington, W.Va.
Marc B. Chernenko
Wellsburg, W.Va.
Rules for Admission to the Practice of Law
National Conference of Bar Examiners