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Civil Code I
Covers: Persons and family law, including such matters as domicile, absent persons, marriage, divorce, separation, child support, alimony, filiation, tutorship, interdiction, matrimonial regimes, and community property; and property law, including such matters as classification of things, ownership and accession, personal servitudes of usufruct, use and habitation, predial servitudes, building restrictions, boundaries, co-ownership, occupancy and possession, and acquisitive prescription.
Includes:
- Book I: All.
- Book II: All (except Articles 659 through 671).
- Book III:
- Title 6 (Articles 2325 through 2437).
- Titles 23 and 24 (Articles 3412 through 3491).
- Book IV:
- Conflict of laws: Articles 3515 through 3518, Articles 3519 through 3522, Articles 3523 through 3527, and Articles 3535 and 3536.
- Civil Code Ancillary (Title 9 of Revised Statutes) and Code of Civil Procedure
- All provisions related to any of the foregoing Civil Code articles.
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Civil Code II
Covers: Intestate distribution, including representation of deceased persons, devolution of community and separate property, and usufruct, commorientes, acceptance and renunciation, incapacity, unworthiness, and related areas of filiation and adoption. Forced heirship, collation, reduction, the disposable portion (including calculation of the mass of succession). Testate distribution, forms of testaments, revocation, interpretation of legacies, witnesses, testamentary accretion and conjoint legacies. Requirements and effects of donations inter vivos, including form, capacity, acceptance. Prohibited donations inter vivos and mortis causa and the effects thereof. Related Civil Code ancillaries. The Louisiana Trust Code, including formation, powers and duties of trustees, rights of beneficiaries, settlors, and remedies.
Includes:
- Articles 178 through 214 199 of Book I of the Louisiana Civil Code
- Articles 870 through 1755 of Book III of the Louisiana Civil Code
- Articles 3528 through 3534 of Book IV of the Louisiana Civil Code
- The Louisiana Trust Code
- All Related Civil Code Ancillaries
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Civil Code III
Covers :
From the Code and related Ancillaries, the areas of: Obligations, including conventional obligations or contracts; sale and exchange; lease, mandate, deposit, compromise and security rights, including mortgages, pledges, security interests, privileges and suretyships; liberative prescription; the Uniform Commercial Code - Secured Transactions; and conflict of laws (Civil Code Articles 3537 through 3541). The Civil Code III examination does not include the law of security interests under Chapter Nine of the Uniform Commercial Code.
Includes: the remainder of the Louisiana Civil Code and related Ancillaries, with the exception of those articles dealing with matters to be covered in the Torts examination, particularly Articles 2315 through 2324, and with the exception of the law of partnership, particularly Articles 2801 to 2844 and the law of representation and mandate, particularly Civil Code Book III, Title XV (2985 to 3032).
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Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure
Includes: Any part of the Code of Civil Procedure, as well as ancillary statutes relating to civil procedure, may be the subject of test questions.
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Torts
Includes: Areas of questioning on all Civil Code Articles relating to negligent, intentional, and strict liability tort actions, including specifically Articles 2315 through and including 2324.1 and Articles 659 through and including 671 of the Louisiana Civil Code. The applicability or exclusivity of the Louisiana Workers' Compensation Statute will, in certain instances, be included in the areas of questioning, as will products liability law, medical malpractice, merchant liability, public entity liability and conflict of laws.
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Business Entities
Includes: Provisions of the Louisiana Revised Statutes and the Louisiana Civil Code dealing with corporations, partnerships, partnerships in commendam, limited liability companies, registered limited liability partnerships and mandate negotiable instruments, and particularly the provisions of Title 12, Chapter 1 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes (pertaining to business corporations): Book III, Title XI of the Louisiana Civil Code (pertaining to partnerships and partnerships in commendam); Title 12, Chapter 22 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes (pertaining to limited liability companies); Chapters 1, 3, and 4 of Title 9, Code Title XI of the Louisiana Revised Statutes (pertaining to partnerships, partnerships in commendam), and registered limited liability partnerships); and Book III, Title XV of the Louisiana Civil Code and related Ancillaries of Title 9 pertaining to representation and mandate. Chapters 1, 3, and 4 of Title 10 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes (pertaining to commercial paper and bank deposits and collections).
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Constitutional Law
Includes: The Constitutional law examination specifically addresses areas to which the average practitioner may be expected to be exposed in the course of his or her legal career. A typical examination includes questions both as to institutional power structures as well as individual rights and liberties. Representative topics include: separation of powers, federalism, the incorporation doctrine, the contract clause, interstate commerce, due process equal protection and the Bill of Rights.
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Criminal Law, Procedure and Evidence
Includes:Questioning on substantive criminal law and procedure as contained in the United States Constitution, the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, the Louisiana Criminal Code, the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Louisiana Revised Statutes, and in the any applicable jurisprudence. It will also include questioning on Louisiana evidence law as contained in the Louisiana Evidence Code and in the applicable jurisprudence and may include questions pertinent to both criminal and civil actions.
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Federal Jurisdiction and Procedure
Includes: Questions regarding the jurisdiction of federal courts, the federal judicial system, and the law governing proceedings in those courts. This includes the exercise of subject-matter and personal jurisdiction in federal courts, service of process, removal and remand, discovery, venue, the law applied in federal courts, abstention doctrines, and other relations between federal courts and the states, joinder of parties and claims, pleading requirements, motion practice, and, generally, the procedural rules applicable in the district courts under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Title 28 of the United States Code. It also includes jurisdiction and procedure for appeals, certifications, and certiorari in the circuit courts of appeal and the Supreme Court.
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions
Newly-Enacted Legislation: It is the policy of the Committee that newly-enacted legislation-including amendments to existing federal and state statutes, and amendments, additions, and deletions affecting federal and state rules of procedure and evidence – will not be tested until at least six months after the effective date of the legislation, as opposed to the date of enactment.
Sitting Info
Bar Exam (Part I) Test Schedule
The Bar Exam (Part I) is always administered over three days of testing, with three tests per day as follows:
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Mon. |
Tue. |
Wed. |
Thu. |
Fri. |
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8:00AM - 10:00AM
LA Code of Civil Procedure
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10:30AM - 12:30PM
Criminal Law, Procedure & Evidence
2:00PM - 5:00PM
Federal Jurisdiction & Procedure
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Checklist
On the Day of the Bar Exam, Please Double-Check the Following:
Applicants are not permitted to bring any items into the examination facility other than your personal laptop computer, a clear plastic food storage type bag (maximum size one gallon), which may only contain: a valid government issued Driver’s License/ID or Passport, wallet, keys, earplugs, pens, erasers, medication and medical items, facial tissue, non-digital watch or timepiece, one clear plastic bottle of water/juice/soda/coffee per exam session.
The following items are strictly prohibited and will not be permitted in the examination facility: food of any kind including candy and gum, handbags, purses, hats, hoods or any other headgear (except items of religious apparel), backpacks, laptop bags, computer sleeves, duffle bags, briefcases, tote bags, notes, scratch paper, books, magazines, newspapers or any other reading material, bar review or other study material in any format or media, electronic wireless communication and smart devices such as cell phones, calculators, cameras, radios, recording devices, iPods, smart watches and fitness bands, headphones or headsets, weapons of any kind, regardless of whether you have a permit to carry, any other item not specifically allowed.
- Bring your valid government issued Driver's License/ID or Passport for identification.
- You may NOT bring in your cell phone to the testing facility, and the committee will NOT hold it for you.
- All applicants will be required to clear a security checkpoint at the entrance to the testing facility.
- If you are taking the Bar with a personal laptop:
- Download the software and take a practice test.
- Power strips will be available however applicant’s may also bring their own power strip/surge protector/extension cord.
- Make sure your battery is fully charged.
Special Accommodations
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodations
The Committee on Bar Admissions provides reasonable and appropriate testing accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act for those applicants with proven disabilities and a demonstrated need for a specific accommodation for the Louisiana Bar Examination. The purpose of this application process is to protect the integrity of the Louisiana Bar Examination and provide equal access to the testing process.
The burden of proof remains at all times with the applicant to show the existence of a disability and the demonstrated need for testing accommodations. Costs incurred in establishing the existence of a disability and the needs for accommodation are the responsibility of the applicant. However, no charges will be assessed to individuals with disabilities to cover the costs of testing accommodations approved by the Committee on Bar Admissions.
The Americans with Disabilities Act authorizes the Committee on Bar Admissions to require specific documentary proof of a disability and to establish procedures to evaluate that documentation relative to the accommodation issue. In accordance with that authority, the Committee on Bar Admissions has promulgated the attached forms, which must be fully completed, in order to be considered for an accommodation. As part of the application process, statements from licensed physicians or professional health care providers specifically setting forth the applicant’s condition and the relationship between that condition and the inability to take the examination under standard conditions will also be required. Additionally, the Committee may require further information or evidence from the applicant and retains at all times the right to seek professional evaluation of any information provided by the applicant.
If you are seeking accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you will be given the opportunity to access our form and instructions during the application process. If you have already started your application process and would like to add a request, please contact our office. All forms must be received on or before November 1st for the February bar exam, or on or before February 1st for the July exam in accordance with Louisiana Supreme Court Rule XVII, Sec 4(E).
Courtesy Arrangements
If you have a health-related condition that can be addressed in a standard testing room, without deviation from the standard testing schedule, you may request courtesy arrangements. Some common courtesy arrangements include:
- Permission to bring an assistive device into the secure exam area, such as diabetic supplies, a lumbar support or a lactation pump
- Special seating arrangements (e.g. near restroom)
- Special arrangements for lactating purposes.
Please contact Denise Swanson as soon as possible for instructions on how to request a Courtesy Arrangement for Health-Related Conditions. Be aware that you will need to provide medical documentation to support your request.
The Committee must receive a Request, with supporting medical documentation, by December 15th for the February Bar Exam and May 15th for the July Bar Exam.
Note: This does not apply to testing accommodations based upon a disability, which are governed by the procedures, timelines and requirements of Rule XVII.
Scoring
Part I: Applicants who earn a total weighted score of at least 650 out of a possible 900 will pass.
The grading process is carried out by members of the Louisiana Bar who have been appointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court. Strict examinee anonymity is maintained and several measures are taken to insure uniformity and fairness in the grading process.
The multi-part written examination consists of nine separate examinations. Examinations 1 - 5 are "Code" examinations; examinations 6 - 9 are "Non-Code" examinations. Each subject is worth 100 raw points. Code subjects carry twice the weight of Non-Code subjects. The five Code subjects are Code I, Code II, Code III, La. Code of Civil Procedure and Torts. The four Non-Code subjects are Business Entities and Negotiable Instruments, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, and Federal Jurisdiction and Procedure.