district of columbia

bar admission administrative agency:
 
committee on admissions
district of columbia court of appeals
500 indiana avenue nw, room 4200
washington, dc 20001
tel: 202/879-2710
website: http://www.dcbar.org/
 
 
bar admission options:
 
without bar examination
1. an applicant, upon proof of good moral character as it relates to the practice of law, may be admitted to the bar without examination, provided that the applicant has been an active member in good standing of a bar of a court of general jurisdiction in any u.s. state or territory for a period of five years immediately preceding the filing of the application; or
2. an applicant who:
a) has been awarded a law degree by a law school approved by the aba at the time of graduation;
b) has been admitted to the practice of law in any state or territory upon the successful completion of a written bar examination and has received a scaled score of 133 or more on the mbe; and
c) has passed the mpre with a scaled score of 75 or more.
 
application deadline: none
 
application/admission fees:
$400.00 (clerk, district of columbia court of appeals); ncbe character and fitness report fees ($200.00 within one year of law school graduation; $250.00 for all others).
 
with bar examination
examination required for all other applicants.
 
examination components:
1. academic: mbe, mee, and two mpt questions. a prior mbe test, and/or a prior mee/mpt test, from any jurisdiction may be accepted if:
a) the prior mbe scaled score is not less than 133, and/or the prior mee/mpt scaled score is not less than 133;
b) the subjects of the prior mbe are identical to those comprising the present mbe section; and
c) the prior examination was taken within 25 months of the present examination.
2. ethics: mpre scaled score of 75 is transferable from any jurisdiction.
 
examination dates:
february (deadline: january 4)
july (deadline: may 23)
 
applications with late fees will be accepted for 15 days after the deadline dates.
 
application/admission fees: $100.00; $45.00 mbe fee; $40.00 mee/mpt fee.
 
 
other district of columbia bar requirements:
 
1. graduate of law school approved by the aba at the time of graduation; or
 
2. if the law school was not approved by the aba, the applicant may take the bar examination after successfully completing at least 26 semester hours of study in the subjects tested in the bar examination in a law school approved by the aba.
 
3. all applicants must submit a certificate of good standing from the highest state court in each jurisdiction where admitted.
 
4. mandatory course on the d.c. rules of professional conduct and district of columbia practice for new admittees to the district of columbia bar, to be completed within 12 months after admission.

5. required annual fees: $150.00 active; $100.00 inactive.
 
 
regulation of in-house counsel
 
district of columbia bar admission rules do not address in-house counsel.
 
 
bar association status:
 
[x] mandatory (see required annual fees above)
 
[ ] voluntary

 
specialty certification
 
the district of columbia does not have a specialty certification program. however, the dc ethics rules permit any type of lawyer advertising that is neither false nor misleading.