How to Become a Lawyer in Alaska: Steps, Exams and Fees
To become a lawyer in Alaska, most people earn a bachelor’s degree and a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school, score at least 270 on the Uniform Bar Exam, score at least 80 on the MPRE, and clear the Alaska Bar’s character and fitness review. Alaska has no law school, so you’ll study out of state or online.
The path to an Alaska law license looks like most states’ until law school. Alaska is the only state without one, so you’ll plan your J.D. around a school in another state, a hybrid online program, or a mix of both. Here’s how to become a lawyer in Alaska, step by step, with fees and deadlines as of November 2026.
The Alaska Bar Association runs admission to practice in the state, under rules set by the Alaska Supreme Court. Its Law Examiners Committee reviews applications and administers the bar exam. Each state’s high court writes its own admission rules, so if you might practice somewhere else later, it helps to know how bar admission rules differ by state.
- Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
- Take the LSAT
- Graduate from an ABA-Approved Law School
- Pass the Alaska Bar Exam and the MPRE
- After You’re Admitted to the Alaska Bar
Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
The Alaska Bar doesn’t set its own undergraduate requirement. ABA-approved law schools do: nearly all of them require a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college before you enroll. Since most Alaska applicants qualify through an ABA-approved J.D., a bachelor’s degree is part of the path for nearly everyone.
Accreditation
Choose a college accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Law schools check this, and a degree from an unaccredited college can keep you out of an ABA-approved program.
Skills Law Schools Look For
The ABA doesn’t require any particular major or set of courses. It does describe the skills that help in law school, and courses that build them are worth taking:
- Analytical and problem-solving skills
- Research skills
- Oral and written communication skills
- Task organization skills
- Promotion of justice
- Public service
- Management skills
- Critical reading skills
- Reading comprehension skills
Degree Options
You don’t need a pre-law major. Law schools admit students from every field, and they weigh your GPA and LSAT score far more than your major. Political science, history, English, philosophy, business, and economics are common choices because they build reading and writing skills, but pick the major you’ll earn strong grades in.
Pre-Law Advisor
If your college has a pre-law advisor, use that office early. An advisor can help you choose courses, plan when to take the LSAT, and build a list of law schools.
Take the LSAT
Most ABA-approved law schools require the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), given by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). Plan to take it about a year before you want to start law school, so your score is ready when applications open in the fall.
Exam Content
The LSAT is scored from 120 to 180. LSAC removed the Analytical Reasoning section (logic games) in August 2024, so the scored test now has three parts:
- Logical Reasoning (two sections): you read short arguments and evaluate, complete or weaken them.
- Reading Comprehension (one section): you read long, dense passages and answer questions about them.
Every test also includes one unscored section and LSAT Argumentative Writing, a written sample that law schools see but that doesn’t count toward your score. LSAC has announced that starting in August 2027, the unscored questions will be embedded within the three scored sections instead of filling a separate fourth section. If you’ll test then or later, check LSAC’s current format before you start practice tests.
How to Prepare
Start with LSAC’s own LSAT prep resources, which include free official practice tests. Commercial courses are mostly online, which helps if you live outside Anchorage.
Registration, Fees and Test Centers
Register through your LSAC account. For the August 2026 to June 2027 testing year, LSAT registration costs $253, and the Credential Assembly Service costs $219 (see the LSAC fee schedule). LSAC offers need-based fee waivers.
Starting with the August 2026 test, nearly all candidates must take the LSAT in person at a test center. LSAC allows limited remote-testing exceptions, including some accommodations and cases where the nearest center is too far away, which can matter in rural Alaska. Center options in Alaska are limited, so check LSAC’s center list for Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau before you pick a test date, and book early.
Receiving Your Score
LSAC releases scores about three weeks after each test. There’s no passing score. Each law school sets its own expectations, and most publish the score range of their admitted students.
Retaking the LSAT
You can retake the LSAT, but LSAC caps how many times you can test within a testing year, over several years, and over your lifetime. Check LSAC’s current test-taking limits before you plan to retake it. A retake costs the full registration fee again.
Graduate from an ABA-Approved Law School
Most applicants qualify through a J.D. or LL.B. from an ABA-approved law school, but Alaska Bar Rule 2 provides alternative routes for certain applicants, including some graduates of non-ABA and foreign law schools. The ABA keeps the official list of ABA-approved law schools. Check any school against it before you apply.
Studying Law When Alaska Has No Law School
Alaska has no law school, so every Alaska-bound student studies at a school based in another state. Most choose one of three routes:
- An out-of-state J.D.: many Alaskans attend schools in Washington, Oregon, and other Western states, then come home to take the bar.
- A program with an Alaska component: Seattle University School of Law has run Alaska programs in Anchorage for years, including summer study and a third-year option at Alaska Pacific University. Ask the school what it offers for your entering year.
- A hybrid online J.D.: a growing number of ABA-approved schools offer part-online J.D. programs. An ABA-approved hybrid J.D. meets the same Alaska requirement as an in-person one.
If you have ties to Alaska and plan to return, the Alaska Bar Association offers law school scholarships to first-, second- and third-year law students who intend to return to the state within two years of graduating. Applications are due March 1.
Application Process
Apply to law schools in the fall, about a year before you plan to enroll. Each school sets its own application fee and deadline.
Credential Assembly Service
Most ABA-approved law schools require LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS). It collects your materials once and sends a report to each school you apply to:
- Transcripts: send official transcripts from every U.S. college you’ve attended to LSAC, whether or not you earned a degree there. Use the transcript request forms CAS provides. Tell LSAC about any schools outside the U.S. as well.
- Letters of recommendation: your recommenders upload their letters to LSAC, and LSAC sends them to the schools you choose.
- Fee: the CAS subscription is $219 for the 2026-2027 cycle, plus $45 for each law school report.
What You’ll Study
The ABA’s Standards for Approval of Law Schools (Standards 302 and 303) set what an approved law school’s curriculum must cover:
- Substantive law
- Procedural law
- Legal analysis and reasoning
- Legal research
- Problem-solving
- Oral communication
- Legal writing/written communication
- Professional responsibility
- Ethics
- Other necessary professional skills
- Experiential courses
- Law clinics/field placements
- Opportunities for pro bono legal work for students
Under ABA standards, a J.D. requires at least 83 semester credit hours. The ABA no longer sets a minimum or maximum number of months to finish, so each law school sets its own program length. A full-time J.D. usually takes three years, and part-time programs usually take four.
Online Law Degrees
For most applicants, an online or hybrid J.D. counts in Alaska only if the school is ABA-approved. Online legal studies degrees and certificates outside the J.D. don’t qualify you for the bar, but they can lead to a paralegal career in Alaska and other law-related work.
Pass the Alaska Bar Exam and the MPRE
Alaska gives the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), a two-day exam written by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). It’s offered in February and July in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. The upcoming exams are February 23-24, 2027, and July 27-28, 2027, per the Alaska Bar’s exam schedule. You must be at least 18 and hold a J.D. or LL.B. to apply.
Exam Content
The UBE has three parts, and Alaska adds no state-specific test:
- Multistate Bar Examination (MBE): 200 multiple-choice questions over two three-hour sessions.
- Multistate Essay Examination (MEE): six 30-minute essays.
- Multistate Performance Test (MPT): two 90-minute tasks in which you complete a lawyering assignment from a case file and a library of law.
Subjects tested on the MEE as of the July 2026 exam include:
- Business Associations (Agency and Partnerships, Corporations and Limited Liability Companies)
- Civil Procedure
- Constitutional Law
- Contracts and Sales (including Article 2 [Sales] of the Uniform Commercial Code)
- Criminal Law and Procedure
- Evidence
- Real Property
- Torts
Starting with the July 2026 exam, the MEE no longer tests Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Trusts and Estates, or Secured Transactions. Family Law and Trusts and Estates can still appear on the MPT during the transition, so don’t drop them from your review entirely.
Alaska doesn’t accept MBE scores transferred from another exam. Alaska plans to switch to the NextGen UBE in July 2028, according to NCBE’s Alaska page. If you’ll test in 2028 or later, check which version you’ll take before you buy a prep course.
Passing Score
On the current (legacy) UBE, you need a combined score of at least 270 to pass in Alaska. The NextGen UBE uses a different scale, and Alaska’s minimum on it is 620. Starting with the July 2026 administration, Alaska also accepts qualifying transferred NextGen UBE scores. Results usually come out about 10 weeks after the exam.
Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE)
You must also pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) with a scaled score of at least 80, earned within the past eight years. It’s a separate ethics exam given in March, August, and November. Most people take it during law school.
Application Process and Character and Fitness
Apply through the Alaska Bar’s admissions site after you get an NCBE number. Character and fitness is the Bar’s review of your background, honesty, and conduct, including any criminal, academic, or financial problems. To start it, you’ll submit a notarized Authorization and Release form, two passport-style photos, and a fingerprint card. Disclose everything the application asks for: an omission usually causes more trouble than the issue itself. Alaska also requires every applicant to complete the Alaska Bar’s prescribed attorney ethics course and submit its affidavit (see the Bar’s other admission requirements).
Fees and Deadlines
Filing deadlines are May 1 for the July exam and December 1 for the February exam. Fees as of November 2026:
| Application | Fee | With 3% Transaction Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Bar exam (first time) | $850 | $876 |
| Bar exam (reapplicant) | $600 | $618 |
| Laptop registration | $125 | $129 |
| Admission by UBE score transfer | $1,000 | Confirm with the Bar |
The $600 reapplicant rate isn’t open to every repeat applicant: it applies to people who sat for a recent Alaska exam, and others pay the full fee. Qualifying reapplicants from the February 2027 exam have a May 31 deadline for the July 2027 exam. The Alaska Bar added the 3% transaction fee on January 15, 2026, and doesn’t refund it. Confirm current amounts on the Alaska Bar’s fee page before you pay.
Graduates of Non-ABA and Foreign Law Schools
Alaska Bar Rule 2 sets the conditions for graduates of non-ABA-approved law schools, including foreign-trained lawyers and lawyers who have practiced in another state. Each path has its own proof requirements. Read the rule and contact the Alaska Bar’s admissions office before you apply.
UBE Score Transfer and Admission on Motion
If you’ve already taken the UBE in another state, you can transfer your score to Alaska if it’s 270 or higher and from an exam taken within the past five years. Experienced lawyers can also apply for admission on motion, which lets you join the Alaska Bar without an exam. NCBE lists the requirement as active practice in 3 of the past 5 years. Either way, you still need a passing MPRE score and a character and fitness clearance.
Preparation
The Alaska Bar doesn’t endorse any bar review company. NCBE sells official practice questions for the MBE, MEE, and MPT, and most commercial bar review courses are online. Most bar review courses run about 8 to 10 weeks of full-time study after graduation.
Licensing and Admission to the Bar
Before admission, you’ll complete the Alaska Bar’s attorney ethics course and file an affidavit stating that you’ve read the Alaska Rules of Professional Conduct. You’ll also need a passing MPRE score that’s no more than eight years old. Once you’re eligible for admission, you must be sworn in within 60 days, or your application may be deemed abandoned. Swearing-in ceremonies usually follow a few weeks after results come out.
After You’re Admitted to the Alaska Bar
Once you’re sworn in, you can practice anywhere in the state. Many new lawyers start with a firm, a government office, or a judicial clerkship in Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Juneau. Others take rural practice, where demand is high, and lawyers are spread thin.
What Alaska Lawyers Earn
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, lawyers in Alaska earned a median annual salary of $149,940 as of May 2025, with about 1,120 lawyers employed in the state. Nationally, lawyers earned a median annual salary of $159,670 as of May 2025. Pay runs higher in Anchorage than in Fairbanks, per BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for Lawyers (23-1011):
| Area | Employment | Median Annual Wage | 90th Percentile Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska (statewide) | 1,120 | $149,940 | $281,780 |
| Anchorage, AK | 780 | $153,590 | $336,190 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | 90 | $129,660 | $199,470 |
BLS employment estimates cover wage-and-salary lawyer jobs and exclude self-employed lawyers and owners or partners of unincorporated businesses, so they’re lower than the number of licensed Alaska attorneys.
Projections Central estimates a -2.9% change in employment for lawyers in Alaska between 2024 and 2034, with an average of 30 openings per year (Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development). Most of those openings come from lawyers retiring or leaving the field, not new positions.
Legal Specialty Certification
Alaska doesn’t certify legal specialists itself. If you want a specialty credential, the ABA keeps a list of private organizations with ABA-accredited certification programs in areas such as civil trial, criminal, and family law. Most require years of practice and a certification exam.
Requirements for Maintaining Your License
Under the Alaska Bar’s Mandatory Continuing Legal Education rule, active members must complete and report 12 CLE credits each year, including three ethics credits.
Court Systems in Alaska
The Alaska Court System is unified and fully state-funded, with no separate city or county courts. It has four levels: the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals (which hears criminal and related appeals), the Superior Court (the trial court of general jurisdiction), and the District Court (misdemeanors, small claims, and smaller civil cases). The state is split into four judicial districts, so where you practice decides which courts you’ll appear in most.
Elective Membership Organizations
Membership in the Alaska Bar Association is required to practice. Voluntary groups can help with mentoring and referrals, especially early on:
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Alaska have a law school?
No. Alaska is the only state without a law school. Alaskans earn their J.D. from an ABA-approved school in another state, through a hybrid online program, or through an out-of-state school’s Anchorage program, such as Seattle University School of Law’s.
Can you take the Alaska bar exam without going to law school?
No. Most applicants qualify through a J.D. or LL.B. from an ABA-approved law school, and Alaska Bar Rule 2’s alternative routes apply to certain graduates of non-ABA and foreign law schools, not to people without a law degree. Alaska doesn’t have a law office study route like some other states.
What score do you need to pass the Alaska bar exam?
On the current UBE, you need a score of at least 270, plus a scaled score of at least 80 on the MPRE. When Alaska switches to the NextGen UBE in July 2028, the minimum will be 620 on that exam’s different scale.
How long does it take to become a lawyer in Alaska?
About seven years after high school for most people: four years for a bachelor’s degree and three for a full-time J.D. Add a few months for bar prep, the exam, results, and swearing in. A part-time J.D. usually adds a year.
Can I transfer my UBE score to Alaska?
Yes, if your legacy UBE score is 270 or higher and you took the exam within the past five years. Starting with the July 2026 administration, Alaska also accepts qualifying NextGen UBE scores. The Alaska Bar charges $1,000 for a UBE score transfer application, and you still need a passing MPRE score and a character and fitness clearance.
- No in-state law school: most applicants earn a J.D. from an ABA-approved school based outside Alaska, in person, through a hybrid program, or with time in Anchorage.
- The exam is the UBE: Alaska gives the two-day Uniform Bar Exam in February and July. You need 270 to pass the current version, and Alaska plans to move to the NextGen UBE in July 2028.
- The MPRE is separate: Alaska requires a scaled score of at least 80, earned within eight years of applying.
- Budget for fees: the bar exam application is $850, or $876 with the 3% transaction fee, as of November 2026.
- Licensed lawyers have shortcuts: UBE score transfer and admission on motion let lawyers from other states join without retaking an exam.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Lawyers. Job growth projections (2024-2034) are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed November 2026.
Since you’ll study law outside Alaska either way, your J.D. format matters as much as the school. Compare programs by whether they’re ABA-approved, how much of the work is online, and whether they offer part-time schedules or time in Anchorage.
