missouri

bar admission administrative agency:

missouri board of law examiners
407 jefferson street
jefferson city, mo 65101
tel: (573) 751-9814
fax (573) 751-5335 or (573) 751-6224
e-mail: mble@osca.state.mo.us
website: http://www.osca.state.mo.us/
website: http://www.mobar.org/

bar admission options:

without bar examination
1. attorneys who satisfy the following requirements may be admitted without examination:
a.you must currently be licensed in a state that offers mutuality of admission without written examination to missouri-licensed attorneys; and,
b. you must have had an "active and significant" practice in a mutuality jurisdiction. practice in a mutuality jurisdiction for a period of less that two years will generally not be considered as a "active and significant" practice; and
c. you must, for five of the preceding ten years, have been:
(1) engaged in the full-time practice of law in a u.s. state or territory in which you were licensed (note: the board of law examiners may exercise discretion in its determination as to compliance with this requirement when the applicant has been engaged in a combination of full-time practice and part-time practice for at least seven of the immediate preceding ten years if the part-time practice has consisted of at least 1,000 hours per annum devoted directly to the practice of law or as an employee performing duties requiring licensure as an attorney. the board may also exercise discretion in its determination if the full-time practice has been subject to the disciplinary authority of the jurisdiction in which the applicant is admitted and licensed and the actual practice has been lawful where geographically performed); or
(2) engaged in full-time service as a lawyer with the u.s. government or its armed forces or with a recognized state agency in a legal capacity; or
(3) teaching full-time in an aba-approved law school; and
d. you must be a graduate of a law school that, at the time of your graduation, was approved by the aba.

*an applicant who has failed the missouri bar examination is not eligible for admission without examination.

2. limited admission for in-house counsel: a lawyer admitted to practice in another u.s. state or territory may receive a limited license to practice law in missouri when the lawyer is employed in missouri as a lawyer exclusively for: a corporation, its subsidiaries or affiliates; an association; a business; or a governmental entity whose lawful business consists of activities other than the practice of law or the provision of legal services, if the lawyer:
(a) is a graduate of a law school that at the time of the lawyer's graduation was approved by the american bar association;
(b) has filed an application for a limited license pursuant to rule 8.105 with the clerk of this court containing the following:
(1) a written application in the form prescribed by the board of law examiners, including a sworn statement of the applicant that no complaints with any disciplinary authority are pending in any jurisdiction and that no charges of professional misconduct are pending against the applicant in any jurisdiction;
(2) an affidavit signed by two members, other than members associated with the applicant in the practice of law, of the bar in the state or territory in which the applicant practiced establishing the applicant's admission to the practice of law in that jurisdiction;
(3) an affidavit of good moral character signed by two members of the missouri bar;
(4) an affidavit from an officer, director or general counsel of the applicant's employer in missouri attesting that the applicant is employed as a lawyer exclusively for the employer, that the applicant is an individual of good moral character, and that the nature of the employment conforms to the requirements of this rule [8.105];
(5) the application form for a character and fitness report then being used by the board;
(6) the non-refundable prescribed application fee; and
(7) a certificate of good standing from the highest court of the state of admission and a statement from the disciplinary authority of each state in which the applicant is admitted or licensed.
(c) otherwise meets the character and fitness requirements of the missouri bar; and
(d) receives the recommendation and approval of the board as provided in supreme court rule 8.07.

such limited license shall be valid for five years from the date of issuance, unless the attorney’s employment is terminated. however, if the terminated attorney is immediately employed by another employer filing such an affidavit, the limited license shall be reinstated for the remainder of the 5-year period from the date the license originally was issued. a limited license may be renewed for successive periods of five years each.

any applicant failing the missouri bar examination within five years of application cannot apply under this rule until the applicant has practiced law in a jurisdiction in which the applicant is licensed to practice for a period of five years from the last date the applicant sat for and failed the missouri bar examination.

3. temporary admission for 12 months. any lawyer meeting the following qualifications may apply to practice law temporarily in missouri for up to 12 months:
(a) shall not have previously failed the missouri bar examination;
(b) is an applicant for admission to the missouri bar under supreme court rule 8.06 (application to take the missouri bar examination) or supreme court rule 8.10 (application for admission without examination;
(c) is an active member in good standing of the highest court of a u.s. state or territory; and
(d) is not under suspension or disbarment by any court of record or the subject of any pending disciplinary complaints.

the applicant shall file an application with the board of law examiners, which shall be attested to or sworn and state:
(a) the applicant has applied for admission to the missouri bar under supreme court rules 8.06 or 8.10;
(b) the name and bar number of a supervising lawyer, who need not be in the same firm as the applicant;
(c) the supervising lawyer is actively licensed to practice law in missouri; and
(d) the applicant will be supervised as provided in supreme court rule 4-5.1.

attached to the application shall be a statement from the supervising lawyer agreeing to the specified supervision.

upon approval by the court, the applicant shall be issued a certificate to practice law in this state temporarily, valid for 12 months from the date it is issued.

application deadline: not applicable.

application/admission fees:
$725.00 (attorney applicants); $725.00 (in-house counsel applicants).

with bar examination
examination required for all other applicants.

examination components:
1. academic: mbe, 10 state essays (which may include questions prepared for the mee), and one mpt question. a total scaled score of 266 is required. previous mbe score accepted if within 19 months and at least a 133; provided that the applicant passed the entire academic bar examination in the examining jurisdiction to which the applicant has been admitted and licensed.

2. ethics: mpre scaled score of 80 is transferable from any jurisdiction within three years prior to, or within one year following the date the applicant successfully completes the missouri bar examination.

examination dates:
february (deadline: october 15 of the preceding year; late filing deadline: january 15)
july (deadline: march 15; late filing deadline: june 15)

application/admission fees:
1. bar exam:
postmarked or received on or before march 15 or october 15: $375.00
postmarked or received on or before april 15 or november 15: $400.00
postmarked or received on or before may 15 or december 15: $425.00
received on or before june 15 or january 15: $475.00
2. character and fitness report submitted concurrently:
postmarked or received on or before march 15 or october 15: $425.00
postmarked or received on or before april 15 or november 15: $525.00
postmarked or received on or before may 15 or december 15: $625.00
received on or before june 15 or january 15: $775.00

other state bar requirements:

1. minimum age: 18

2. certificate of good standing from each state in which the applicant is licensed.

3. graduate of a law school approved by the aba at the time of graduation.

4. character check by the committee on character and fitness (for attorney applicants) prior to examination.

5. required annual fees: $170.00 (0-3 years after admission); $225.00 (more than 3 years after admission); $140.00 (non-residents).

regulation of in-house counsel

missouri bar admission rules address in-house counsel practice (see “without bar examination, limited admission for in-house counsel,” above).

bar association status:

[x] mandatory (see “required annual fees,” above.)

[ ] voluntary

specialty certification

missouri does not have a certification plan and does not otherwise regulate specialty certification.

attorneys may advertise their specialties, but must include a disclaimer that neither the supreme court of missouri nor the missouri bar reviews or approves certifying organizations or specialist designations.

a lawyer admitted to patent practice before the u.s. patent and trademark office may use the designation "patent attorney" or a substantially similar designation. a lawyer engaged in admiralty practice may use the designation "admiralty," "proctor in admiralty" or a substantially similar designation.