nebraska

nebraska state bar commission
roman l. huskra law center
p.o. box 81809
lincoln, ne 68501-1809
tel: 402/475-7091
fax: 402/475-7098
e-mail: ns21448@navix.net
website: http://www.nebar.com/

a. class 1-a applicants. attorneys who:
1. as determined by the nebraska state bar commission, has been admitted to the bar of another u.s. state, territory, or district;
2. at the time of their admission had attained educational qualifications at least equal to those required at the time of application for admission by examination to the nebraska bar; and
(c) have passed (1) an examination equivalent to the nebraska bar examination, and (2) beginning in 1991, the mpre with a scaled score of 85.

b. class 1-b applicants. attorneys who:
1. have been licensed to practice in another u.s. state, territory, or district;
2. have actively and substantially engaged in the practice of law in u.s. state, territory, or district for 5 of the 7 years immediately preceding application for admission; and
3. at the time of their admission had attained educational qualifications at least equal to those required at the time of application for admission via the nebraska bar examination.

for this purpose, "practice of law" means:
(a) the private practice of law as a sole practitioner or as an attorney employee of, or partner or shareholder in, a law firm, professional corporation, legal clinic, legal services office, or similar entity; or
(b) employment as an attorney for a corporation, partnership, trust, individual, or other entity with the primary duties of:
(i) furnishing legal counsel, drafting documents and pleadings, and interpreting and giving advice with respect to the law; or
(ii) preparing cases for presentation to or trying before courts, executive departments, or administrative bureaus or agencies; or
(c) employment as an attorney with the federal, any u.s. state, territorial or local government or special district, with the primary duties of:
(i) furnishing legal counsel, drafting documents and pleadings, and interpreting and giving advice with respect to the law; or
(ii) preparing cases for presentation to or trying cases before courts, executive departments, or administrative bureaus or agencies; or
(d) employment as a judge, magistrate, hearing examiner, administrative law judge, law clerk, or similar official of the federal, any u.s. state, territorial or local government, with the duties of hearing and deciding cases and controversies in judicial or administrative proceedings, provided such employment is available only to an attorney; or
(e) employment as a law teacher at an aba-approved law school; or
(f) any combination of subparagraphs (a) through (e) above.

application/admission fees:
$700.00 motion fee if less than one year since original admission; or $950.00 motion fee if admitted more than one year in any one state. in either case, the qualifying jurisdiction must have conducted a suitable background investigation of the applicant preceding the applicant’s admission in the qualifying jurisdiction. plus $10.00 request for application fee if you are unable to download the application.

examination components:
1. academic: mbe and mee. average grade of 135 required.
2. ethics: mpre scaled score of 85 prior to examination.

examination dates:
february (deadline: file between september 1 and november 1 of the preceding year)
july (deadline: file between january 1 and april 1).
no late applications are accepted.

3. required annual fees: $140.00 (0-4 calendar years after admission to the bar of any state or other jurisdiction); $240.00 (more than 4 calendar years following the calendar year of admission); $65.00 (members 75 years of age or older during their dues year being billed). $45.00 (inactive members); $0.00 (active duty military at the beginning of a calendar year).

current nebraska rules do not expressly address in-house counsel practice. however, proposed “rules governing the unauthorized practice of law” by the nebraska supreme court. section 2.2. of the proposed rules carves out an definitional exception to the general prohibition on unauthorized practice of law for the benefit of in-house counsel, as follows:

“…persons who are licensed or authorized to practice law in nebraska and who are employed by an entity which is not itself authorized to practice law may practice law for the sole and direct benefit of the employer.”

nebraska does not have a current regulatory scheme governing specialty certification. attorneys may indicate fields of law in which they practice or to which they limit their practice as long as they do not imply certification or official recognition as a specialist.