Bar Application Process Overview

Bar Application Process Inquiries?

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.  

The Bar application process requires attention to detail, researched history of domicile and work, and accurate reporting of all matters relating to academic records and encounters with the legal system.  Candor is of the utmost importance when completing the bar application. 

If you have specific questions or concerns about your application process or any character and fitness issue, please contact Madeline Raine at mraine@law.miami.edu. 

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  • Character and Fitness (i.e. Background Check)

    Every jurisdiction requires bar applicants to meet the burden of showing they are of good moral character and otherwise fit to practice law. Issues that may concern a board of bar examiners may include prior unlawful conduct, academic misconduct, financial irresponsibility, neglect of deadlines or other professional obligations, or a history of untreated mental health or substance use disorders. Bar examiners may also compare your bar application to your law school application and/or your supporting bar admission materials. Admission may be delayed if there are any omissions or contradicting information among these documents. 

    Review Your Law School Application 

    You should review your law school application to ensure that all the necessary disclosures were made initially. You can download a copy of your law school application from the LSAC website. 

    For additional information about the application process, including the applicable Law School Application Amendment Policy, please see "Amending Your School of Law Application" section below.  

    Investigate Yourself 

    Regardless of which state bar you apply to, you should investigate yourself to make sure you report thorough and accurate information. You can check your own credit report, your own driving record, and, if you have a criminal history to report, review police reports and court records. For more information on how to investigate yourself, start here: PPT slides. 

    Please note, students only receive access to Public Records searches on Lexis Nexis after their first semester of law school. If a student has trouble or questions regarding searching for information, they may contact Robin Schard, Director of the Law Library at rschard@law.miami.edu. 

    Students should also contact their previous institution(s) to request copies of all documents in their student file. These documents will be crucial to ensure you have provided accurate and complete information regarding any previous student conduct violations, disciplinary matters, warnings, etc. on your law school and bar application. 

  • LL.M. Students

    LL.M. students should speak with their Program Director and also review the Bar Admissions Information for Foreign Lawyers.

  • Amending Your School of Law Application

    All Miami Law students have a continuing obligation to update their law school applications with character and fitness incidents that have occurred after filing the original application for admission. In addition, you must make late disclosures if matters were not initially disclosed to the School of Law. 

    During the fall of students’ 1L year, the School of Law holds a mandatory meeting regarding bar admission and character & fitness. Members of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners (FBBE) present information at the meeting; however, attendance is mandatory for all students, regardless of the intended jurisdiction of practice.  

    Making an Amendment to the Application to the School of Law  

    Students have thirty (30) days from the date of the FBBE presentation to amend their law school application. Full candor is expected during this period so that all applications are fully, accurately, and completely updated, and all disclosures are current. All amendments are reviewed both by the Dean of Students and the Dean of Admissions 

    Under Section 1.03 (g) of the University of Miami Law School Honor Code, conduct that could subject a student to sanctions under the Code includes: 

    Materially misrepresenting, by act of omission, one’s academic or professional qualifications, conduct, … on any document or in any oral statement, including but not limited to applications for admission to this or any law school or to any state bar…. 

    Any material misrepresentations in the law school application process would both be evaluated under the Miami Law Honor Code, and by the Admissions Committee. Further, any student who fails to file a required amendment to their application to the School of Law within the thirty-day period set forth above will be referred to the Dean of Students. The failure to disclose will be handled pursuant to the Honor Code and documented as such for disclosure to state bar authorities. 

    Any questions regarding amendments to your law school application should be directed to Madeline Raine at mraine@law.miami.edu. 

    Please click the link below to complete a Law School Application Amendment Form: 

    AMEND YOUR LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION 

Specific State Bar Requirements

This information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as general guidance, but each student should complete their research on the application requirements, deadlines, and other information related to the bar of their choice. 

For students seeking admission to the Florida Bar, your first step should be to create an account online. Upon completion of your student registration, the Florida Bar will initiate a thorough investigation into your character and fitness to practice law. 

Carefully follow the instructions while completing the bar application. You will be required to submit certain documents, including: 

This information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as general guidance, but each student should complete their own research on the application requirements, deadlines, and other information related to the bar of their choice. 

New York is a Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) jurisdiction and has additional requirements. In addition to passing the bar exam and MPRE, to be sworn into the NY Bar, an applicant must: 

  • Comply with New York's distance education and degree limits 
  • J.D. applicants are limited to 15-credit limit for “distance education” 
  • The NY BOLE waived the prohibition on maximum distance learning credits during the coronavirus health emergency but reinstituted the prohibition as of Summer 2022. As such any distance education courses taken during Summer 2022 or latercount against the 15-credit limit for J.D. students. 
  • For foreign-trained LL.M.s, the L.L.M. Rule (Sec. 520(6)) does not allow credit for any online coursework, so do not enroll in courses that feature any online component.  
  • The NY BOLE waived the prohibition on maximum distance learning credits during the coronavirus health emergency but reinstituted the prohibition as of Summer 2022. As such, courses taken by L.L.M. students with any online component during Summer 2022 or later will not be counted by the NY BOLE. 
  • Pass the New York Law Exam (NYLE) 
  • Certify the completion of 50 pro bono hours
  • Completion of the Skills Competency Requirement 
Miami Law School’s Certification of its Graduates for Satisfying the NYS Skills Competency Requirement for Admission 

The New York Court of Appeals has identified five pathways through which applicants for admission to practice may satisfy the requirement to "demonstrate that the applicant possesses the skills and values necessary to provide effective, ethical and responsible legal services in this State." 
 
This requirement applies to: 

  • J.D. students commencing their studies after August 1, 2016 
  • LL.M. students commencing their studies after August 1, 2018. 

Prior to applying to the New York Bar, all students should review carefully the information provided by the New York Court of Appeals as well as the FAQs. 

Skills Competency Requirement for J.D. Candidates 
Pathway 1 

Pathway 1 allows applicants to satisfy the skills competency requirement by submitting a certification from their law school confirming that (1) the school’s curriculum incorporates the teaching of skills and professional values required for participation in the legal profession, and (2) that the applicant has acquired sufficient competency in those skills and sufficient familiarity with those values. 

Fulfillment of Requirement: 

Miami Law J.D. students are introduced to a core set of skills and professional values beginning in our mandatory orientation programming and then continuing through the standard required curriculum. To satisfy Pathway I, students must complete the educational program described below: 

  • New Student Orientation: This mandatory programming introduces students to the professional values and competencies necessary for the ethical and effective practice of law. 

The following classes: 

  • At least four credits in the Legal Communication & Research Program, which teaches the following list of skills: 
  • Legal analysis 
  • Legal research 
  • Written communication, including: 
  • organization of legal writing 
  • persuasion and legal rhetoric 
  • reflection, editing, and revision 
  • proper documentation of and citation to research sources appellate brief writing 
  • Oral communication and advocacy: 
  • Client Communication 
  • Negotiation 
  • Professionalism 
  • At least six additional skills credits that satisfy ABA Standard 303(a)(3), which may be earned in a combination of clinics, externships, simulations, and practica. For specific information about experiential offerings, see Experiential Learning | University of Miami School of Law | University of Miami 
  • A professional responsibility course 
  • At least two faculty-supervised writing and research projects 

Miami Law will certify transfer students if they have completed at least three credits of legal writing and research courses prior to transferring to Miami Law and then complete the remaining professional responsibility, skills, and writing requirements described above. Foreign-trained J.D./LL.M. students who complete the requirements outlined above qualify for certification under Pathway 1 as well. 

Fulfillment of Requirement: 

J.D. candidates who have successfully completed the educational program detailed above, may submit the required forms to the Law Registrar’s office, lawreg@law.miami.edu, to certify via Pathway 1. 

Skills Competency Requirement for LL.M. Candidates 
Pathway 4 or 5: 

LLM students may meet the Skills Competency Requirement through either Pathway 4 (Apprenticeship) or Pathway 5 (Practice in Another Jurisdiction), as outlined in subsections (a)(4)and (a)(5) of §520.18 of the Rules of the New York State Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law. Please review Skills Competency Requirement FAQs for detailed information about Pathways 4 and 5. 

LL.M Certificate of Attendance  

Any foreign-educated applicant who is required to complete an LL.M degree to cure a deficiency in their foreign legal education under Court Rule 520.9(b)(3) will be directed to answer questions about their LL.M. course of study on the electronic Certificate of Attendance form before they are able to apply for any given administration of the UBE. 

If this section applies to you, AFTER your LL.M degree has been conferred, you must order a PDF copy of your official transcript through CaneLink to be sent to Associate Law Registrar, Claudia Osorio, at cosorio@law.miami.edu so that the Law School can upload it along with your Certificate of Attendance. 

This information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as general guidance, but each student should complete their own researchon the application requirements, deadlines, and other information related to the bar of their choice. 

District of Columbia 

The District of Columbia (DC) is a Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) jurisdiction. The DC jurisdiction recently amended a rule for applicants looking to waive into the jurisdiction. You must now accrue three years of good standing before applying for admission in conjunction with a qualifying score from the other jurisdiction. Please be aware that this process can take up to a year. Additional information on the DC Bar admissions process: 

California 

The California Bar requires an applicant to register and complete the Moral Character application. The Character and Fitness process can take 6 months or longer, so students interested in taking the California Bar should complete the Moral Character application before registering for the actual exam. 

Other States 

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