SDCL tit. 16, ch. 16, app TO CHAPTER 16-16, 3
All applicants, except those applying pursuant to § 16-16-7.6, 16-16-12.1, or 16-16-12.3 are required to take the bar examination which consists of the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), an essay question on Indian Law, the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). Subject matter outlines for the MEE, MPT, MBE, and MPRE are available at the National Conference of Bar Examiners' website at http://www.ncbex.org/.
The MEE is a two and one half hour examination consisting of five essay questions. The MEE will test both general and South Dakota principles of law.
Indian Law includes basic principles of federal Indian law, including but not limited to civil and criminal jurisdiction, the Indian Civil Rights Act, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. It does not include tribal laws or customary laws. Indian Law is tested by one essay question after the MEE.
The MPT consists of two ninety-minute questions which test the fundamental skills of problem solving, legal analysis and reasoning, factual analysis, communication, organization and management of a legal task, and recognizing and resolving ethical dilemmas. Each question shall contain all of the resource material necessary to complete the performance examination. The MPT will test both general and South Dakota principles of law.
The MBE is an objective six-hour examination containing 200 multiple-choice test questions covering the subjects:
Constitutional Law | Contracts |
Criminal Law and Procedure | Evidence |
Real Property | Torts |
Civil Procedure (effective February 2015 bar exam) |
The MPRE consists of 50 multiple-choice test questions and measures an applicant's knowledge of the ethical standards of the legal profession.
SDCL tit. 16, ch. 16, app TO CHAPTER 16-16, 3