illinois

bar admission administrative agency:

illinois board of admissions to the bar
625 south college street
springfield, il 62704
tel: 217/522-5917
fax: 217/522-3728
website: http://www.ibaby.org/
website: http://www.illinoisbar.org/
website: http://www.state.il.us/court/supremecourt/

bar admission options:

without bar examination
an applicant who has been licensed to practice law in the highest court of law of another u.s. jurisdiction may be admitted without examination provided:
1. the applicant meets all educational requirements (see other state bar requirements, below);
2. the applicant has been actively and continuously engaged in qualified law practice for at least five of the seven years immediately prior to making application. for this purpose, "practice of law" means:
a) private practice as a sole practitioner or for a law firm, legal services office, legal clinic, or the like;
b) practice as an attorney for an individual, corporation, partnership, trust, or other entity, with the primary duties of furnishing legal counsel, drafting legal documents and pleadings, interpreting and giving advice regarding the law or preparing, trying or presenting cases before courts, departments of government or administrative agencies;
c) practice as an attorney for the federal government or a state government with the same primary duties as described in paragraph (b) above;
d) employment as a judge, magistrate, referee, or similar official for the federal government or a state government, provided that such employment is available only to licensed attorneys;
e) legal service in the u.s. armed forces;
f) employment as a full-time law teacher at a law school approved by the aba; or
g) any combination of the above.
3. the applicant is licensed in a jurisdiction that grants reciprocal admission to illinois attorneys on the basis of illinois practice [jurisdictions sharing reciprocity with illinois include alaska, colorado, connecticut, district of columbia, georgia, indiana, iowa, kentucky, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, nebraska, new york, north carolina, north dakota, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, texas, utah, vermont, virginia, washington, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming, guam, virgin islands, and northern mariana islands.]
4. the applicant has passed the mpre in any jurisdiction in which it is administered;
5. the applicant has not taken and failed to pass the illinois academic qualification examination; and
6. the applicant establishes to the board’s satisfaction that, upon admission, he or she will engage in the active and continuous practice of law in illinois.

application deadline: not applicable.

application/admission fees: $800.00.

with bar examination
examination required for all other applicants.

examination components:
1. academic: mbe, six questions from the mee, three state essays, and one mpt question. illinois will accept a previous mbe score for one year or the two preceding exams. the required minimum scaled mbe score is 140.
2. ethics: mpre (scaled score of 80) is transferable from any jurisdiction.

examination dates:
february (deadline: september 1 of the preceding year)
july (deadline: february 1)

late applications with higher late fees are accepted until december 31 and may 31 respectively.

application/admission fees:
$250.00 (for applicants who have previously filed a registration application in illinois); $700.00 (for applicants who have previously filed a registration application in illinois).

other state bar requirements:

1. minimum age: 21

2. character check by the illinois committee on character and fitness prior to the examination.

3. completion of at least 90 semester hours at a college or university approved by the board of admissions to the bar.

4. graduate of an aba-approved law school.

5. required annual fees: $0.00 (less than one year after admission before the first day of january for which the fee is due; $90.00 (more than one year but less than three years after admission before the first day of january for which the registration fee is due); $229.00 [out of which $7.00 shall be remitted to the lawyers’ assistance program fund and out of which $42.00 shall be remitted to the lawyers trust fund] (more than three years after admission before the first day of january for which the registration fee is due); $90.00 (inactive fee). for this purpose, the time shall be computed from the date of an attorney’s initial admission to practice in any u.s. jurisdiction.

exceptions:
(1) an attorney in the u.s. armed forces is exempt from paying a registration fee until the first day of january following discharge.
(2) an attorney who has reached the age of 75 years is excused from further payment of registration fees.
(3) no registration fee is required of any attorney during the period he or she may be serving in the office of justice, judge, associate judge or magistrate of a court of the u.s. or the state of illinois or the office of judicial law clerk, administrative assistant, secretary or assistant secretary to such a justice, judge, associate judge or magistrate, or during any period in which he or she is receiving a retirement annuity pursuant to title 28, chapter 17 of the united states code or chapter 40, act 5, article 18 of the illinois compiled statutes.

regulation of in-house counsel

illinois bar admission rules endorse in-house counsel practice in illinois without special additional governing rules (see without bar examination above).

bar association status:

[ ] mandatory

[x] voluntary
annual dues: annual dues for active members are graduated according to length of admission to the bar. dues reduction or waiver may be granted to qualified applicants.

specialty certification

illinois attorneys may advertise themselves as "certified," "expert," "specialist," or similar terms to describe their qualifications and to identify recognitions, awards, or certificates, provided the statement is accompanied by the following disclaimer: "the supreme court of illinois does not recognize certification of specialties in the practice of law and the certificate, award or recognition is not a requirement to practice law in illinois."

the illinois state bar association’s (isba) trusts and estates section council has developed a prototype certification program. it has not yet been approved by the bar membership. the association’s board of governors also adopted a recommendation to petition the state supreme court for the amendment of rule 7.4. the recommendation proposes the elimination of the disclaimer requirement where an aba-accredited organization or the isba has awarded the certification.