alaska

bar admission administrative agency:
 
committee of law examiners
alaska bar association
p.o. box 100279
anchorage, ak 99510-0279
tel: 907/272-7469
fax: 907/272-2932
email: alaskabar@alaskabar.org
website: http://www.alaskabar.org/
website: http://www.state.ak.us/courts/prof.htm
 
 
bar admission options:
 
without bar examination
an applicant who meets the state bar requirements listed below may be admitted without examination if the applicant has:
1. passed a written bar examination in a reciprocal state or the district of columbia (i.e., any such u.s. jurisdiction that provides for admission without examination);
2. complied with specific conditions detailed by that jurisdiction;
3. passed the mpre; and
4. engaged in the active practice of law in any u.s. jurisdiction for five of the seven years immediately preceding the date of initial application. for this purpose, "active practice of law" is defined as anyone who has:
a) represented one or more clients on a fee basis in the private practice of law;
b) served as an attorney in government, or as a judicial law clerk, provided graduation from an aba- or aals-accredited law school is a required qualification of such employment;
c) served as counsel for a non-governmental corporation, entity or person and performed legal services of a nature requiring a license to practice law in the jurisdiction(s) in which performed;
d) taught law at one or more accredited law school(s) in any u.s. jurisdiction;
e) served as a judge in a court of any u.s. jurisdiction; or
f) been employed by a legal services corporation program or a not-for-profit law firm, performing legal services of a nature requiring a license to practice law in the jurisdiction(s) in which performed.
 
application deadline: none
 
application/admission fees: $1,500.00
 
with bar examination
examination required for all other applicants.
 
examination components:
1. academic: mbe, two mpt questions, and state essays. a combined score of 140 is required.
2. ethics: mpre scaled score of 80 is transferable from any jurisdiction.
 
examination dates:
february (deadline: december 1 of the preceding year)
july (deadline: may 1)
 
late applications with fees will be accepted until january 15 for the february examination and until june 15 for the july examination.
 
application/admission fees: $800.00
 
 
other state bar requirements:
 
1. minimum age: 18
 
2. graduation from a law school accredited by the aba or aals. graduates of law schools that are not accredited by the aba or the aals are eligible to take the alaska bar examination if they:
a) have been licensed to practice law in one or more u.s. jurisdiction(s) for the preceding five years and have been engaged in the active practice of law during those five years; or
b) have completed not less than one academic year of education at a law school accredited or approved by the council of legal education of the aba or the aals and subsequently completed a clerkship program that meets alaska bar association requirements; or
c) are graduates of foreign law schools provided such legal education meets specified criteria.
 
3. approved character check by the board of governors of the alaska state bar association.
 
4. must attend a presentation on attorney ethics as prescribed by the board of governors of the alaska state bar association.

5. required annual fees: $450.00 (active); $150.00 (inactive).

 
regulation of in-house counsel
 
alaska bar admission rules cover in-house counsel (see without bar examination above).
 
bar association status:
 
[x] mandatory (see required annual fees above).
 
[ ] voluntary
 
 
specialty certification
 
under state ethics rules, lawyers are permitted to communicate information concerning specialty certification only if the certification is granted by an organization or authority whose specialty certification is accredited by the aba. [rule 7.4(b)].

private certification programs:

business bankruptcy
civil trial advocacy
consumer bankruptcy
creditors’ rights
criminal law trial advocacy
elder law
estate planning law
family law trial advocacy
professional liability (accounting; legal; medical)