MPRE Duties to the Public Practice Questions
Area XI of NCBE’s MPRE outline · 2–4% of the exam, about 1 to 2 of the 50 scored questions
60 questions across all twelve areas in 2 hours, with a score for Duties to the Public so you know where you stand.
Free Duties to the Public drillDoes a lawyer who serves on a legal aid organization's board have a client-lawyer relationship with the people the organization serves?
Lawyers’ Duties to the Public and the Legal System on the MPRE
Lawyers’ duties to the public and the legal system are Area XI of NCBE’s outline and 2–4% of the MPRE, about 1 to 2 of the 50 scored questions. The questions cover public service duties and the limits on how lawyers may treat judges and officials.
- Share of the exam
- 2–4% in NCBE’s subject matter outline, about 1 to 2 of the 50 scored questions
- Our drill
- 10 questions from 16 Duties to the Public questions, untimed, an explanation after every answer; one free attempt, unlimited with a pass
What duties to the public questions test
- Pro bono service and court appointments (Rules 6.1, 6.2)
- Legal services and law reform organizations (Rules 6.3, 6.4) and short-term limited legal services (Rule 6.5)
- Criticism of judges and judicial candidates (Rule 8.2)
- Political contributions for engagements or appointments (Rule 7.6) and improper influence on officials (Rule 8.4(e))
- Assisting judicial misconduct (Rule 8.4(f))
Sit the full exam under the real clock
60 questions across all twelve areas in 2 hours, with a score for Duties to the Public so you know where you stand.
Free Duties to the Public drillHow to study it
- Remember that Rule 6.1 is aspirational: 50 hours is a goal, not a disciplinary requirement.
- Learn the three good-cause grounds for avoiding a court appointment.
- Remember the law reform rule: disclose that a client would benefit, without naming the client.
- Take the drill until you score 80% or better.
Common questions
How many questions on duties to the public are on the MPRE?
This area is 2-4% of the exam in NCBE’s outline, about 1 to 2 of the 50 scored questions.
Is pro bono service mandatory under the Model Rules?
No. Rule 6.1 says a lawyer should aspire to at least 50 hours a year and is not enforced through discipline.
60 questions across all twelve areas in 2 hours, with a score for Duties to the Public so you know where you stand.
Free Duties to the Public drillThe other MPRE areas
- Regulation of the Legal Profession
- The Client-Lawyer Relationship
- Client Confidentiality
- Conflicts of Interest
- Competence, Legal Malpractice and Other Civil Liability
- Litigation and Other Forms of Advocacy
- Transactions and Communications with Persons Other Than Clients
- Different Roles of the Lawyer
- Safekeeping Funds and Other Property
- Communications About Legal Services
- Judicial Conduct
- MPRE practice exam (60 questions, 2 hours)
- Mixed drill: all twelve areas
- MPRE practice test: exam facts and every area
Sources
- NCBE: About the MPRE (length, administrations, jurisdictions)
- NCBE: Preparing for the MPRE (format, pretest questions, subject matter)
- NCBE: MPRE Subject Matter Outline (PDF)
- NCBE: MPRE Key Words and Phrases (PDF)
- NCBE: MPRE Registration (fee, dates, rescheduling)
- NCBE: MPRE Scores (scale, equating, release)
- NCBE: MPRE Test Day Policies
- The Bar Examiner: 2025 MPRE statistics (examinees, mean score, passing scores)
- ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct
- ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct
Original practice questions for exam preparation, written to NCBE’s MPRE Subject Matter Outline and the ABA Model Rules; they are not NCBE questions. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) or the American Bar Association. MPRE is a mark of NCBE.