WASHINGTON BAR EXAM DISTINCTIONS — ONE-PAGE CHEAT SHEET
Condensed companion to the Washington Bar Exam Distinctions long outline.
1. EXAM FORMAT
UBE state · MBE/MEE/MPT weighted 50/30/20 · minimum passing score 266 · score transferable to/from other UBE jurisdictions · plus MPRE + character/fitness (WSBA) · essays graded on national majority law · community property pervades practice even though essays are national.
2. CIVIL PROCEDURE
Tort/personal-injury SOL 3 years (RCW 4.16.080) · written-contract SOL 6 years (4.16.040) · oral contract 3 years · defamation 2 years · Washington Superior Court Civil Rules track the Federal Rules · Superior Court is general jurisdiction · long-arm (4.28.185) to due-process limits.
3. EVIDENCE
Own Washington Rules of Evidence (ER), patterned on the FRE · FRYE "general acceptance" standard RETAINED for novel scientific evidence—NOT Daubert—frame motions under Frye · statutory physician-patient privilege (RCW 5.60.060) with no FRE analog; spousal, clergy, attorney-client also recognized.
4. COMMUNITY PROPERTY (DEPTH)
COMMUNITY PROPERTY STATE (Title 26) · property acquired during marriage by labor/effort = community (equal ownership); premarital + gift/devise/bequest/inheritance = separate · strong community presumption for marital-period acquisitions; claimant traces to rebut by clear/convincing evidence · separate-property INCOME stays separate (unlike Texas) · commingled-but-traceable separate funds keep character; untraceable → community · community labor enhancing a separate asset is apportioned · both spouses must join to convey/encumber community real property · community debts reach community property; separate debts hit separate property first · at DIVORCE court divides ALL property "just and equitable" (can reach separate property), RCW 26.09.080 · at DEATH a spouse wills only his/her one-half of community + all separate · quasi-community property + COMMITTED INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP (CIR) doctrine for unmarried partners.
5. FAMILY LAW
Pure no-fault—sole ground irretrievably broken (RCW 26.09.030) · fault irrelevant to decree · no common-law marriage (but CIR doctrine applies to unmarried partners) · division driven by community-property characterization.
6. WILLS / TRUSTS / ESTATES
Attested will = signature + 2 witnesses (RCW 11.12.020) · NO Washington holographic wills (foreign-valid holographic wills may be honored) · harmless-error on clear/cogent/convincing proof · NO common-law elective share—the community one-half protects the spouse · intestacy splits community (spouse takes all of decedent's half) vs. separate (spouse + issue share) · homestead (Ch. 6.13) · Community Property Agreement (CPA) vests all property in survivor at death without probate · TEDRA dispute resolution.
7. REAL PROPERTY
Race-notice recording (RCW 65.08.070)—later BFP must take without notice AND record first · adverse possession 10 years (4.16.020); 7 years with color of title + tax payment (7.28.070) · DEED OF TRUST with nonjudicial trustee's-sale foreclosure (Ch. 61.24)—after a proper sale, no redemption and no deficiency; judicial mortgage foreclosure carries redemption (~1 yr) and possible deficiency.
8. TORTS
PURE comparative negligence (RCW 4.22.005)—plaintiff never barred, recovery reduced by fault (matches MBE) · joint-and-several liability LARGELY ABOLISHED—proportionate several liability (4.22.070); J&S survives for fault-free plaintiffs / concerted action · NO noneconomic-damages cap (Sofie v. Fibreboard) · commercial-host dram-shop liability for serving apparently-intoxicated persons or minors; limited social-host liability.
9. CONTRACTS / UCC
UCC adopted (Title 62A)—Article 2/3/9 uniform · standard Statute of Frauds (goods ≥$500) · 6-year written-contract SOL · otherwise national/Restatement rules.
10. BUSINESS ENTITIES
Washington Business Corporation Act (Title 23B, MBCA-based) · Washington LLC Act · uniform partnership statutes · model-act fiduciary/derivative/piercing analysis · confirm Secretary of State formation/annual reports.
11. PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
Washington Rules of Professional Conduct (ABA-based with variations) · MPRE tests the ABA Model Rules · strict IOLTA/trust-accounting via the WSBA and Washington Supreme Court.
12. CRIMINAL
MPC-influenced code (Title 9A; intent/knowledge/recklessness/criminal negligence) · death penalty abolished (State v. Gregory, 2018) · Washington Constitution Article I, §7 ("private affairs… authority of law") exceeds federal Fourth Amendment protection—argue the state ground · MBE tests common-law/MPC and the federal floor.
KEY FLAGS
⚑ UBE — write national law on essays · ⚑ 266 passing score · ⚑⚑ COMMUNITY PROPERTY — characterize by source/timing, community presumption, trace, separate income stays separate, court divides ALL property at divorce, CIR doctrine · ⚑ FRYE not Daubert · ⚑ NO holographic wills · ⚑ NO elective share (community half protects spouse) · ⚑ Community Property Agreement · ⚑ race-notice recording · ⚑ deed of trust / nonjudicial foreclosure (no redemption, no deficiency) · ⚑ PURE comparative negligence · ⚑ joint-and-several ABOLISHED (several liability) · ⚑ NO noneconomic cap · ⚑ Art. I §7 privacy.