UTAH

BAR ADMISSION ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY:
 
Admissions Administrator
Utah Law and Justice Center
Utah State Bar
645 South 200 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84111-3834
Tel: 801/531-9077
Fax: 801/531-0660
Website: http://www.utahbar.org/
 
 
BAR ADMISSION OPTIONS:
 
Without Bar Examination
An applicant may, upon motion, be admitted to the practice of law in this jurisdiction if the applicant has been admitted to another U.S. jurisdiction where admission by motion is authorized and the applicant shall:

(a) Have been admitted by bar examination to practice law in another U.S. jurisdiction;

(b) Hold a first professional degree in law (J.D. or LL.B.) from a law school approved by the ABA Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar at the time the degree was conferred;

(c) Establish to the satisfaction of the Board of Bar Commissioners that the U.S. jurisdiction that licensed the lawyer applicant, allows the admission of licensed Utah lawyers under terms and conditions similar to those set forth in these rules, provided that if the U.S. jurisdiction that licensed the lawyer applicant requires Utah lawyers to complete or meet other conditions or requirements, the applicant must meet a substantially similar requirement for admission in Utah.

(d) Have been substantially and lawfully engaged in the active practice of law (meaning fifty percent or more) for no less than three years in such jurisdiction, or have been substantially and lawfully engaged in the practice of law for any three of the four years immediately preceding the date of the filing of the application for admission under this rule.

(e) Present satisfactory proof of both admission to the practice of law and that he or she is a member in good standing in all jurisdictions where currently admitted;

(f) Present proof that the applicant is not currently subject to lawyer discipline or the subject of a pending disciplinary matter;

(g) Be of good moral character and fitness.

With Bar Examination

Examination required for:

1. Attorney applicants: An applicant who meets the other state bar requirements listed below, has been admitted to practice before the highest court of another state or the District of Columbia for at least five years, and has been substantially engaged in the practice of law in such jurisdiction for any four of the five immediately preceding years, may qualify to take the Attorney's Examination. For this purpose, "practice of law" includes:

a) sole practitioner in a private law firm;

b) partner, shareholder, associate, or one of counsel in a private or public law firm;

c) officer of a corporation or other business organization where the officer's principal responsibility is to give legal advice and/or assistance;

d) government employee whose principal duties are to provide legal advice and representation before the courts;

e) service in the Armed Forces in the Judge Advocate department in a legal capacity in any state;

f) judge of a court of general or appellate jurisdiction requiring admission to the bar as a qualification for admission;

g) law clerk to a judge of a court of general/appellate jurisdiction; or

h) teaching full-time in a law school fully or provisionally approved by the ABA.

2. Student applicants: Attorney applicants who do not qualify under the above requirements, and all other applicants, take the Student Bar Examination.

Examination Components:

1. Academic: MBE, 8 State essays, and 2 MPT questions. A combined score of 130 is required.

a) Qualified attorney applicants take only the essay and MPT portion of the examination and must also receive a score of 130.

2. Ethics: MPRE scaled score of 80 is transferable from any jurisdiction within two years. The MPRE is required of all applicants.

Examination Dates:
February (deadline: October 1 of the preceding year)
July (deadline: March 1)

Applications and late fees are accepted no later than 30 days after the filing deadline.

Application/Admission Fees: $25.00 initial processing fee (online application is free-of-charge); $625.00 effective for the July 2003 exam.

OTHER STATE BAR REQUIREMENTS:

1. Minimum age: 21

2. Character check by the Utah Board of Commissioners.

3. Graduate of a law school provisionally or fully approved by the ABA.

4. Required annual fees: $50.00 admission fee (when first admitted); $190.00 (0-3 years after admission); $350.00 (3 years or more after admission). Inactive membership: $80.00-$90.00.

REGULATION OF IN-HOUSE COUNSEL:

Utah bar admission rules cover in-house counsel (see “Without Bar Examination,” above).

BAR ASSOCIATION STATUS:

[X] Mandatory (See Required annual fees above.)

[ ] Voluntary

SPECIALTY CERTIFICATION:

Utah Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.4 prohibits lawyers from holding themselves out as specialists and forbids them from indicating that they have been certified unless such communications comply with state Supreme Court rules regulating lawyer specialization. To date, the Utah Supreme Court has not adopted rules to regulate lawyer specialization or certification.