Accommodations Available - An applicant with a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act may request test accommodations to ensure that he or she receives a fair and equal opportunity to fully demonstrate his or her competence on the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) in Maryland.
Where to File the Request for Test Accommodations - A request for ADA test accommodations shall be addressed to:
State Board of Law Examiners
Judiciary A-POD
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401
Deadline to Request Test Accommodations - Pursuant to Maryland Rule 19-206(b), The State Board of Law Examiners (“SBLE”) must RECEIVE your ADA accommodations request and all supporting documents not later than the applicable filing deadline for the exam you intend to take, which is set forth in Maryland Rule 19-206(d):
- May 20* for a July UBE
- December 20* for a February UBE
*If the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or Court holiday, the Notice of Intent and Accommodations deadline will be the next business day.
Please note that an ADA accommodations request received after the applicable Notice filing deadline will be rejected as untimely. Rejection of an ADA accommodation request for untimeliness does not constitute a denial on the merits and does not trigger review by the Accommodations Review Committee.
Notwithstanding the deadlines set forth above, you are strongly advised to submit your request for ADA test accommodations as early as possible. Early submission of the request packet is particularly important for applicants who are seeking test accommodations for the first time with no history of receiving accommodations in school or on prior standardized tests. SBLE often must submit these requests for review by one or more outside experts and may possibly require a medical examination prior to making a decision.
Process to Apply for ADA Test Accommodations in Maryland - Complete and sign the Accommodations Request Form and Checklist, linked above, and attach all of the required documents to your Accommodations Request Form. Mail or deliver your Accommodations Request Form and supporting documents to SBLE at the address listed above. Your Accommodations Request Form and documents should be mailed or delivered separately from your Bar Application (or if delivered together with your Bar Application, packaged separately and clearly labeled so that those materials may be properly directed).
Documents to Include in Your Request for ADA Test Accommodations - In order to receive consideration, your request for test accommodations MUST INCLUDE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING, or satisfactorily explain the absence of any missing document:
- Your completed, signed, original Applicant’s Accommodations Request Form and Checklist (linked at the top of this page). Please note: your accommodation request must be specific. For example, if requesting extra time, state the amount or percentage of extra time requested. Requests lacking sufficient specificity will be rejected without action.
- Evaluation Report(s) from your treating health professional(s), including a specific request for accommodations. The full requirements of the Evaluation Report are set forth on pages 4 and 5 of the Accommodations Request Form linked above.
- Certified copies of your academic transcripts from college and law school. If you have previously sent academic transcripts to SBLE to establish your eligibility to file a bar application in Maryland, you must specify that on the documentation checklist that appears on page 2 of the Accommodations Request Form.
- Your standardized test score reports for the SAT and/or ACT, LSAT, and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE). If you did not take one or more the of the listed standardized tests, you should indicate that fact on the checklist. If you took one or more of the standardized tests more than 12 years ago and did not request accommodations on that test, you should indicate that fact on the checklist.
- Evidence of Prior Accommodations Decisions in College and/or Law School – This may be in the form of a copy of one or more letters or other documents (on official letterhead) that you received from the college/university and/or law school listing the academic semester/year for which accommodations were requested, whether the request for accommodations was granted or denied, and describing any accommodation granted to you. Please note:
- If your school issued separate accommodations decision letters for each academic semester/year, provide a copy of each letter you received.
- Your evidence should cover all academic semesters/years of your attendance at each college/university and/or law school, as shown on your academic transcript. If you do not submit evidence pertaining to one or more academic semesters/years, SBLE will presume that you did not request accommodations for that academic term.
- If you lack evidence regarding your complete accommodations request history at any school or for any academic semester/year, you may have your school complete a Certification of ADA Accommodations History form and return it to you to submit to SBLE.
- If you did not request any test accommodations in college or law school, you should indicate that fact on the checklist.
- Evidence of Prior Accommodations Decisions for bar examinations in other jurisdictions and for the LSAT, ACT, SAT and/or MPRE regardless of whether accommodations were granted or denied. If you did not request test accommodations on prior standardized tests or prior bar examinations, you should indicate that fact on the checklist. Please note that, subject to the limited exception stated in Item 4, above, you must still send standardized test score reports even if you did not request accommodations for the test.
- Any other materials you deem relevant to substantiating your disability and assessing the degree of impairment arising from your disability.
Process After SBLE Receives the Accommodations Request Form and Supporting Documents -
Upon receipt, the Board will review your Accommodations Request Form and supporting documents for completeness. If the request package is complete, the Board will review the request on the merits.
If the Board grants the requested accommodations, it will notify the applicant of the details of the accommodations granted for the upcoming bar exam.
If the Board denies the requested accommodations, it will notify the applicant of the grounds of denial and notify the applicant of the opportunity for appeal to the Accommodations Review Committee, pursuant to Maryland Rules 19-206 and 19-208.
If the Board believes that further documentation or an independent evaluation is required, it will notify the applicant and provide a timeframe within which the applicant must respond and/or be evaluated. The following deficiencies may cause SBLE to determine that your accommodations request is substantially incomplete:
- The request package lacks one or more required document(s) and lacks the required explanation of the absence of a required document.
- The completed Accommodations Request Form lacks the required specific request for accommodations.
- The applicant’s medical Evaluation Report:
- lacks the required specific recommendation of accommodations; and/or,
- is not based upon recent medical evaluation and testing as described on pages 4 and 5 of the Accommodations Request Form linked above.
- lacks a description or inadequately describes the applicable diagnostic criteria, diagnostic tests, test results, and interpretation of results; and or,
- lacks a description or inadequately describes the candidate’s limitations arising from the diagnosed disability; and/or,
- is based solely upon self-reporting by the candidate of alleged symptoms and impairment.
Upon receipt of a timely Accommodations Request Form and document package that is substantially incomplete, as described above, the Board will notify the applicant and provide an opportunity to cure the deficiency. If the deficiency is cured by the applicable filing deadline or by any extended deadline granted by the Board, the Board will consider the Accommodations Request for the upcoming bar exam. If the deficiency is not cured by the deadline or by any extended deadline granted by the Board, the Board will deny the request and notify the applicant of the opportunity for appeal to the Accommodations Review Committee. If the request is denied due to substantial incompleteness, the Board will retain the Accommodations Request file for one year during which time the applicant may submit additional or updated documents along with an updated Accommodations Request Form in order to complete the Accommodations Request for a future bar examination in Maryland
For more information on requesting ADA Test Accommodations, please contact SBLE at 410-260-3640 or by email at SBLE@mdcourts.gov.