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The Multistate Essay Examination
The Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) is developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners and is administered by participating jurisdictions on the Tuesday before the last Wednesday in February and July of each year. NCBE offers nine 30-minute questions per administration; user jurisdictions may elect which of the nine questions they wish to use. (Jurisdictions that administer the Uniform Bar Examination [UBE] use a common set of six MEE questions as part of their bar examinations.) The MEE questions are developed by the MEE Drafting Committee and outside experts in the fields covered by the test. Questions are edited by the Drafting Committee, pretested, and analyzed independently by outside content experts.
The purpose of the MEE is to test the examinee’s ability to (1) identify legal issues raised by a hypothetical factual situation; (2) separate material which is relevant from that which is not; (3) present a reasoned analysis of the relevant issues in a clear, concise, and well-organized composition; and (4) demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental legal principles relevant to the probable solution of the issues raised by the factual situation. The primary distinction between the MEE and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is that the MEE requires the examinee to demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively in writing.
Areas of law that may be covered on the MEE include the following: Business Associations (Agency and Partnership; Corporations and Limited Liability Companies), Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Federal Civil Procedure, Real Property, Torts, Trusts and Estates (Decedents' Estates; Trusts and Future Interests), and Uniform Commercial Code (Negotiable Instruments and Bank Deposits and Collections; Secured Transactions). Some questions may include issues in more than one area of law. The particular areas covered vary from exam to exam. Subject matter outlines are available by clicking on the link on the MEE FAQs page.
Jurisdiction Information
A list of jurisdictions currently using the MEE is available on the MEE FAQs page. Applicants should contact the bar admissions agency in the jurisdiction to which they seek admission to ascertain whether the MEE is part of the jurisdiction’s bar examination and, if so, how many MEE questions are administered. Contact information for jurisdictions can be found in the Bar Admission Offices Directory on the home page.
The MEE is only one of a number of measures that a board of bar examiners may use in determining competence to practice. Each jurisdiction determines its own policy with regard to the relative weight given to the MEE and other scores. (Jurisdictions that administer the Uniform Bar Examination [UBE] weight the MEE component 30%.) Any questions about scoring procedures should be directed to the jurisdiction, not to NCBE.
MEE Study Aids
MEE Questions and Analyses include questions from previously administered tests and model analyses that are illustrative of the discussions that might appear in excellent answers to the questions. MEE Questions and Analyses are available for purchase at the NCBE Online Store. See MEE Questions and Analyses for Questions and Analyses from older administrations. See February 2013 MEE Questions for the latest MEE Questions.
MEE Information Booklet
MEE 2013 Test Dates
February 26, 2013
July 30, 2013
