rhode island

bar admission administrative agency:

clerk bar administrator
rhode island board of bar examiners
supreme court
250 benefit street
providence, ri 02903
tel: 401/222-3272
tel: 401/222-4233
fax: 401/222-3599
website: http://www.courts.state.ri.us/
website: http://www.ribar.com/

bar admission options:

without bar examination
legal services exception: an attorney who is a member of the bar of the highest court of any u.s. jurisdiction may be admitted to practice for a period of two years in cases associated with an organized federally-funded program providing legal services to indigents in civil matters. time spent practicing law under this exception does not satisfy the time required as part of the attorney admission requirement listed below.

with bar examination
examination required for:
1. attorney applicants: an attorney admitted to the highest court of any u.s. jurisdiction for at least five years is required to take the essay portion of the rhode island bar examination and score eight out of 12 points on the attorney admission examination if the applicant has engaged in:
a) the active practice of law for at least five of the last ten years; or
b) the teaching of law for at least five of the last ten years.
in addition, attorney applicants will be required to answer one mpt question (effective beginning with the february 2004 exam and continuing through the july 2005 exam).
2. all other applicants must take the entire rhode island bar examination.

examination components:
1. academic: mbe scaled score of 135 and correctly answer 9 state essay questions, or, attain an mbe scaled score of 140 and correctly answer 7 state essay questions. essay questions will be graded only for those applicants who receive a minimum of 135 on the mbe.
note: the following temporary rule will govern the content and grading of rhode island bar examinations beginning with the february 2004 exam through the july 2005 exam: mbe scaled score of 130, one mpt question, and 9 state essay questions. the mpt will be graded only for those applicants who receive a minimum of 130 on the mbe.
2. ethics: mpre scaled score of 80 taken prior to bar examination transferable from any jurisdiction within two years.

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

application/admission fees:
new applicants: $350.00 (payable to the committee on character and fitness).
attorney admission: $550.00 (board of bar examiners); $250.00 (ncbe character and fitness report fees). applications for attorney admission are considered and processed in february and july with the regular bar examination.

5. satisfactory completion of a rhode island bar association training course either before examination or within one year of admission.

7. required annual fees: $115.00 (0-5 years after admission); $200 (more than 5 years after admission). in addition, (1) an annual state licensing fee of $150.00 is assessed by the supreme court, and (2) an annual assessment of $25.00 for the client reimbursement fund is applied.

rhode island bar admission rules do not address in-house counsel. however, rule 5.5 of the rhode island rules of professional conduct, dealing with the “unauthorized practice of law,” appear to require that in-house counsel must be licensed to practice in rhode island.

rhode island does not have a specialty certification program and does not recognize aba accreditation of certification agencies.

a rhode island attorney may not state or imply that he or she is a specialist, except in the areas of patent and admiralty law, and is also prohibited from stating that his or her practice is limited to or concentrated in particular fields of law unless the communication contains a disclaimer stating that "the rhode island supreme court licenses all lawyers in the general practice of law. the court does not license or certify a lawyer as an expert or specialist in any field of practice."