When you take the licensing examinations, they are conducted by the state bar. You will be asked to list all of your educational courses, and all of the subjects that you have learned and taken college credit for. On your application for the license, you will be asked if you have any of the following: CLEP scores, any college degree or certificate, or any additional learning experiences (such as the American Bar Association coursework). The most common response is no to all three. If you answer yes to one of the questions, you must take the ethical responsibility exams, even though you are not required to.
The purpose of the ethical responsibility test is to determine your knowledge on the following four areas of legal responsibilities: negligence, professionalism, communication, and transaction or contract principles. These areas are essential questions and should be answered with care. If you answered no to any of the four questions, you are not obligated to take the licensing exam. If, however, you answered yes to any of the questions, you are required to pass the test, and then you will be required to take an ethics requirement test and pay the expenses for the certification.
Law is a complex field, and it is easy to become distracted by your personal ethics. That is why the CBA developed the multiple-choice law licensing exam as a screening process for potential lawyers. The multiple choice section includes a series of brief questions about your basic understanding of the law and your commitment to ethical behavior. After passing the first round, you can move on to the next set of questions that cover more of the material covered in law school.
Another valuable tip jar trick to pass the licensing exam is to list three qualities that are essential to practicing law. Do not forget to include your personal ethical responsibility. Then, list your professional ethical responsibility as well. Then, remind yourself of the three ethical principles that you learned in your courses in college or law school. Remember, these are all necessary for practicing law.
You may also find it helpful to write down your answers for each section of the multiple-choice ethics portion of the test. It is best to begin listing your answers at the start of the question and work your way backwards. While reviewing your answers for the purposes of preparing for the exam, it is important to remember that your performance task is not to try to justify your answers. Rather, your performance task is to demonstrate why your ethical guidelines are important to you and why following them would help you achieve your goals.
Many of the questions asked students in the licensing exam require them to demonstrate why they believe their ethical code is important. For example, you will be asked whether you support animal welfare. One way to approach this question is to identify the ways in which you personally feel about the treatment of animals, such as whether or not you feel that an inhumane treatment of animals is morally wrong. You may also wish to explain your views on vegetarianism and the importance of respect for animals.
Other questions commonly asked include the following: Do you favor a stiff prison sentence for serial killers? What do you mean by “stiff”? In addition to these typical ethical questions, law students are also often asked to develop and practice specific legal strategies for defending themselves from unethical situations.