In the United States, admission to the bar is permission granted to a lawyer to practice law. Since courts in the U.S. make no distinction between barristers and solicitors, all lawyers are "admitted to the bar". In nearly all states, admission to the bar requires that the candidate pass three hurdles: For information on the type of fish called Lawyer, see the article on Burbot. ... In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professional services of a lawyer or attorney at law, barrister, solicitor or civil... A barrister (advocate in Scotland and the Channel Islands, barrister-at-law in Ireland and elsewhere) is a lawyer found in some Common law jurisdictions who principally, but not exclusively, represents litigants as their advocate before the courts of that jurisdiction. ... This article needs to be wikified. ...

1. The candidate must first earn a Juris Doctor from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association;
2. The candidate must pass a state-administered bar examination which usually consists of several parts administered over two to three days. Most states also require the candidate to pass a separate professional responsibility exam, administered on a separate date; and
3. The candidate must be certified by the appropriate body (often the state bar association) as having the good moral character and fitness to practice law.

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Law School. ... // A law school is an institution where future lawyers obtain legal degrees. ... American Bar Associations Washington, DC office The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. ... A bar examination is a lengthy examination (two or more days) conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction. ... Professional responsibility is the area of legal practice that encompasses the duties of attorneys to act in a professional manner, obey the law, avoid conflicts of interest, and put the interests of clients ahead of their own interests. ... A state bar association is an bar association that represents all of the attorneys in a specific U.S. State. ...

General requirements for admission

Depending on the state, there are a number of methods by which an individual can obtain admission to the bar.

Bar examination

The most fundamental method of admission to the bar of a state is to sit for the examination. The bar examination may include the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), and state-specific examinations. In addition to the bar examination, states generally require the applicant to submit to procedures for verifying the candidates "character and fitness." The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is a six-hour, two-hundred question multiple-choice examination covering contracts, torts, constitutional law, criminal law, evidence, and real property. ... The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a two-hour multiple-choice examination designed to measure the knowledge and understanding of established standards related to a lawyers professional conduct. ...

Admission on Motion

Many states allow practicing attorneys to obtain admission to the state's bar through reciprocity provisions. Normally, these provisions allow attorneys who have practiced law in other jurisdictions for a certain period of time (often a minimum of five years) to be admitted to the bar on proof of that practice. Depending on the state, there may be limitations on reciprocity, such as requiring a minimum score on the MPRE, or even that the applicant have taken a bar examination in the previous jusrisdiction (which, for example, would prevent attorneys who gained admission through the diploma privilege to be admitted to the new jurisdiction on motion).

Waiver

Minnesota, North Dakota and the District of Columbia allow attorneys who recently passed the bar exam of another state, and who were subsequently admitted to the bar of that state while scoring a certain minimum score on the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), to "waive" into admission rather than sitting for that jurisdiction's exam (though they still must attend to other formalities in order to practice in the jursidiction). Attorneys who passed the bars of Louisiana and Washington cannot "waive in" using this method, since these are the two jurisdictions in the United States that do not use the Multistate Bar Examination. Official language(s) None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 12th 225,365 km² 400 km 645 km 8. ... Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 19th 183 272 km² 340 km 545 km 2. ... ... The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is a six-hour, two-hundred question multiple-choice examination covering contracts, torts, constitutional law, criminal law, evidence, and real property. ... Official language(s) English and French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans at last census; probably Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 31st 134,382 km² 210 km 610 km 16 29°N to 33°N 89°W to 94°W Population... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 18th 184,824 km² 385 km 580 km 6. ...

Diploma privilege

Currently, Wisconsin is the only state that offers the diploma privilege for admission to the state bar. Graduates of ABA-accredited law schools in the state—currently, the Marquette University Law School and the University of Wisconsin Law School—may obtain admission to the bar of Wisconsin through the diploma privilege without taking any examination. To qualify for the diploma privilege, the graduate must have met certain criteria with regard to the courses taken in law school and the graduate's performance in those courses. Law graduates seeking the diploma privilege must still meet the state's character and fitness requirements. Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 23rd 169,790 km² 420 km 500 km 17 42°30N to 47°3N 86°49W to 92°54W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 18th 5,453,896 38. ... The diploma privilege is a method for lawyers to be admitted to the bar without taking a bar examination. ... The University of Wisconsin Law School is located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. ...

Graduates of out-of-state law schools, even if they are Wisconsin residents, must still take the Wisconsin bar exam to be admitted in Wisconsin. Likewise, graduates of Wisconsin law schools must take the bar exam for other states in which they are going to practice. A number of U.S. states do not grant reciprocal admission for attorneys who obtained their bar admission through the diploma privilege, requiring those attorneys to take that state's bar exam, regardless of the length of that attorney's practice.

Reciprocity

Many states allow for reciprocal admission to the bar of that state if an individual is licensed to practice in another state and has actively practiced law for a number years. For example, Rule XIII of the Texas Board of Law Examiners allows attorneys practicing full-time 5 of the last 7 years in another state and who meet minimum scores on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) to be admitted to the Texas bar without having to sit for the Texas Bar Examination. In mathematics, the reciprocal, or multiplicative inverse, of a number x is the number which, when multiplied by x, yields 1. ... Official language(s) None. ... The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a two-hour multiple-choice examination designed to measure the knowledge and understanding of established standards related to a lawyers professional conduct. ...

Law schools not accredited by the ABA

Only four states—Alabama, California, Massachusetts, and Tennessee—allow individuals to take the bar exam upon graduation from a non-ABA-accredited law school. Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 30th 52,423 mi²/135,775 km² 190 mi/306 km 330 mi/531 km 3. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 402. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 44th 10,555 mi²; 27,360 km² 183 mi; 295 km 113 mi; 182 km 13. ... Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 36th 109,247 km² 195 km 710 km 2. ...

Admission without law school education

In a handful of states, including California, Virginia and Vermont, an applicant who has not attended law school may take the exam after study under a judge or practicing attorney for an extended period of time. Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 402. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 35th 110,862 km² 320 km 690 km 7. ... Official language(s) None Capital Montpelier Largest city Burlington Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 43rd 24,923 km² 130 km 260 km 3. ...

Admission of foreign-educated lawyers

Many states allow some foreign-educated lawyers to take the bar examination. In New York, individuals with at least three years of formal education in the common law (such as British or Australian law) are qualified to take the bar exam. Individuals with two years of common law training or three years of civil law training may take the bar exam after completing a one-year Master of Laws (LL.M.) program at an American institution. Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 km² 455 km 530 km 13. ... This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ... The law of Australia consists of the Australian common law (which is based on the United Kingdom common law), federal laws enacted by the Parliament of Australia, and laws enacted by the Parliaments of the Australian states and territories. ... The Master of Laws is an advanced law degree that allows someone to specialize in a particular area of law. ...

Admission to the bar is regulated by state government. A person who has met these criteria applies to that state's authority responsible for licensing lawyers: typically the authority will hold a simple ceremony at which the admittee takes an oath to comply with the rules governing the practice of law in that state, and receives a certificate of admission. If an attorney says "I was admitted in year X" he or she is referring to the year in which he or she was actually sworn into the bar of the first state that he or she was admitted. A state government is the government of a subnational entity in nation-states with federal forms of government, which shares political power with the federal government or national government. ...

To practice law in a particular state, one generally must be a member of the bar of that state. A state bar is a branch of its judicial system and is distinguished from a voluntary bar association, such as the ABA and/or the bar association of a town, county, or state, which have social, educational, and lobbying functions but do not regulate the practice of law or admit lawyers to practice. A voluntary association (also sometimes called just an association) is a group of individuals who voluntarily enter into an agreement to form a body (or organization) to accomplish a purpose. ... A bar association is a professional body of lawyers who, in some jurisdictions, are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession. ...

"Integrated bar"

Some states, such as California, Florida, Texas and Louisiana, have an "integrated bar," in which a J.D. holder is required to be member of the bar association of the state in which he or she practices law. In Texas, for example, the "State Bar of Texas" is an agency of the judiciary and is under the administrative control of the Texas Supreme Court. See Tex. Gov’t Code section 81.011. The State Bar of Texas is composed of those persons licensed to practice law in Texas, and each such person is required by law to join the State Bar by registering with the clerk of the Texas Supreme Court. See Tex. Gov’t Code section 81.051. See also State Bar of California. Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 402. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170 451 km² 260 km 800 km 17. ... Official language(s) None. ... Official language(s) English and French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans at last census; probably Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 31st 134,382 km² 210 km 610 km 16 29°N to 33°N 89°W to 94°W Population... A bar association is a professional body of lawyers who, in some jurisdictions, are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession. ... The State Bar of Texas is a quasi-governmental organization supervized by the Texas Supreme Court, and responsible for overseeing all attorneys licensed to practice law in Texas. ... The California State Bar Association is Californias statewide organization responsible for overseeing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law in that state. ...

Some states, however, do not require membership in a bar association. In such states, however, there is often a high rate of bar association participation among lawyers.

Practice before state appellate courts

In many states of the U.S., admission to the bar of a state does not entitle the admitted attorney to appear and plead before the appellate courts of the state. However, admission to the bar of the appellate court is usually a fairly simple matter of paying a nominal application fee and taking an oath of admission. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Appeal. ...

Federal district and appellate courts

Admission to a state bar does not entitle the admitted attorney to appear and plead before the United States district courts or any United States Court of Appeals. As with State appellate courts, admission to the bar of a federal district or appellate court is granted upon payment of a fee and taking an oath of admission. These requirements are often different (such as not requiring a fee) for attorneys who appear before federal courts on behalf of the United States government, such as Assistant United States Attorneys. The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. ... The United States courts of appeals (or circuit courts) are the mid-level appellate courts of the United States federal court system. ... The government of the United States, established by the United States Constitution, is a federal republic of 50 states, a few territories and some protectorates. ... United States Attorneys represent the U.S. federal government in United States district court. ...

An attorney must apply to each district separately. For instance, a Texas attorney who practices in federal courts throughout the state would have to get admitted separately to the Northern District of Texas, the Eastern District, the Southern District, and the Western District. To handle a federal appeal the attorney would also be required to be admitted separately to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Official language(s) None. ... The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States District Courts: Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of Louisiana Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi Western, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of Texas The court is based at...

Some federal district courts have extra admission requirements. For instance, the Southern District of Texas requires attorneys seeking admission to attend a class on practice and procedures in that District, while the Southern District of Florida administers an entrance exam. Map of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas and the jurisdictions therein The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas is the Federal district court with jurisdiction over the southern part of Texas and is a part of the Fifth Circuit. ... The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is comprised of the following counties: Broward, Dade, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. ...

United States Supreme Court

An attorney wishing to practice before the United States Supreme Court must apply to do so. The attorney must have been admitted to a state bar for at least three years, and the application must be sponsored by two attorneys already admitted to the Supreme Court bar. A fee and a written oath are also required. [1] The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States...

United States Tax Court

Various other specialized courts, e.g., the United States Tax Court, have separate admission requirements. The United States Tax Court is unusual in that a non-attorney may be admitted to practice. However, the non-attorney must take and pass an examination administered by the Court to be admitted, while attorneys are not required to take the exam. Most members of the Tax Court bar are attorneys. The United States Tax Court is a special court created by the U.S. Congress to adjudicate disputes over tax assessments. ...

Patent law

An attorney wishing to prosecute patents before the United States Patent and Trademark Office must pass a separate examination (the "patent bar exam"). The exam is not required to prosecute trademarks, only patents. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides patent and trademark protection to inventors and businesses for their inventions and corporate and product identification. ... A trademark (Commonwealth English: trade mark) is a distinctive sign of some kind which is used by a business to uniquely identify itself and its products and services to consumers, and to distinguish the business and its products or services from those of other businesses. ... A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to a person for a fixed period of time in exchange for the regulated, public disclosure of certain details of a device, method, process or composition of matter (substance) (known as an invention) which is new, inventive, and...

A Juris Doctor degree is not required to sit for the patent bar. Lawyers who pass the patent bar exam may refer to themselves as Patent attorney; non-lawyers are referred to as "Patent agent". To sit for the patent bar, an individual must have earned a bachelor's degree in a "hard science" or engineering, or accrued a certain number of credits in undergraduate science courses (the number of credits depends on the specific discipline). A computer science degree is acceptable, so long as it is received from an ABET accredited program. Although the admission requirements do allow substitution of technical experience for technical education, in practice that is rarely done. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Law School. ... A patent attorney is an attorney who has the specialized qualifications necessary for representing clients in obtaining patents and acting in all matters and procedures relating to patent law and practice, such as filing an opposition. ... Engineering applies scientific and technical knowledge to solve human problems. ... Computer science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ... The Accredition Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is a non-profit organization that serves the public by making accreditations of the universities and scientific institutions which live up to certain qualities defined by the organization. ...