To represent clients in court as a licensed attorney, you will need to take the bar exam in the state in which you intend to practice law.
Taking the Bar and Practicing Law
Purdue Global Law School is accredited by the State Bar of California's Committee of Bar Examiners. This accreditation allows its Juris Doctor (JD) graduates who meet all requirements to sit for the California, Connecticut, or—with an approved petition—Indiana bar exams.
Purdue Global Law School is not on the list of schools approved by the American Bar Association. The ABA Standards for the Approval of Law Schools will not currently approve a JD program from a law school that is fully online. However, California is one of the few states to accredit law schools independently of the ABA.
Purdue Global Law School alumni who pass the bar exam in California, Connecticut, or Indiana and are admitted to practice may become eligible to sit for the bar examination in other states. Currently, Purdue Global Law School graduates who possess a law license in California, Connecticut, or Indiana may immediately pursue licensure in the states of North Carolina and Wisconsin.
For information about licensure available in these and other states, please visit Purdue Global’s Licensure and State Authorization page. Students are highly encouraged to seek guidance from the bar admissions office for their state of residence.
Requirements for Practicing Law
Purdue Global Law School's curriculum and test-taking skills program are designed to provide you with a solid foundation for the bar exam. Every one of the subjects on which you may be tested on the exam are required courses taken by all Purdue Global Law School JD students.
To practice law in most states, you typically need to meet three main requirements:
A positive determination of moral character
A minimum passing score on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)
A passing score on the state bar exam
How Purdue Global Law School Prepares You for Licensure
Passing the Bar Exam
This 2-day test is administered twice a year in February and July; however, each state will vary in timing and format:
California conducts a state-specific exam that includes essay exams, a performance test problem, and the multiple-choice Multistate Bar Exam.
Connecticut and Indiana both administer the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), consisting of the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), but have different passing scores and jurisdictional rules.
As a Purdue Global Law School JD student, you will take a two-semester course called Capstone in your final year, which is designed to reinforce the knowledge and skills you will need to pass the bar exam.
In addition, our students receive a significant reduction on a commercial bar prep program, which can help with your studies in the months leading up to the exam itself.
California State Bar Requirements
Purdue Global Law School is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California, allowing its Juris Doctor (JD) graduates who meet all requirements to sit for the California Bar Exam.
Fulfilling California State Bar requirements begins when you are first admitted to law school. All first-year students enrolled in the JD program at Purdue Global Law School who intend to sit for the California Bar Exam must register with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California within 90 days of starting the JD program.
Passing the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)
The MPRE is a 2-hour, 60-question multiple-choice examination administered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) three times per year in March, August, and November. The MPRE intention is to measure your understanding of laws that govern the professional conduct of lawyers.
Unlike the bar exam, the MPRE may be taken during law school or after graduation. It is recommended that you take it upon completion of your third-year Professional Responsibility course. Purdue Global Law School provides its JD students with free access to a MPRE prep program.
Purdue Global Law School Bar Exam Pass Rates
5-Year Cumulative Bar Pass Rate (MPR)
(includes repeat and first-time takers in California, March 2020–February 2025)
3-Year First-Time Bar Pass Rate
(includes all first-time takers, July 2022–February 2025)
First-Time Bar Pass Rates
2025 Pass Rates
Purdue Global Law School First-Time Test Taker Results
February 2025
California: 20 passers / 29 takers = 69% pass rate (CA state average 62%)
Connecticut: 1 passer / 2 takers = 50% pass rate (CT state average 40%)
Indiana: 5 passers / 5 takers = 100% pass rate (IN state average 59%)
Utah: 1 passer / 1 taker = 100% pass rate (UT state average 77%)
Total All States: 27 passers / 37 takers = 73% pass rate
2024 Pass Rates
Purdue Global Law School First-Time Test Taker Results
July 2024
California: 3 passers / 10 takers = 30% pass rate (CA state average 68%)
February 2024
California: 10 passers / 19 takers = 53% pass rate (CA state average 45%)
2023 Pass Rates
Purdue Global Law School First-Time Test Taker Results
July 2023
California: 3 passers / 7 takers = 43% pass rate (CA state average 65%)
February 2023
California: 8 passers / 13 takers = 62% pass rate (CA state average 45%)
2022 Pass Rates
Purdue Global Law School First-Time Test Taker Results
July 2022
California: 2 passers / 4 takers = 50% pass rate (CA state average 62%)
Purdue Global Law School Alum’s Perseverance Leads to Admission to Texas State Bar
After a multi-year legal journey, Purdue Global Law 2011 graduate Nelson A. Locke earns Texas bar admission after Texas Supreme Court ruling.
Nelson A. Locke shakes hands with Judge John Roach Jr. after being sworn in to the Texas state bar July 24 at the Collin County Courthouse. (Photo provided by Sherry Sutton)