Arkansas Bar Reciprocity

Rule XVI of the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Arkansas governs admission for attorneys licensed in other jurisdictions. The process in Arkansas is called Admission on Motion. Attorneys must have been primarily engaged in the active practice of law in one or more states, territories, or the District of Columbia for three of the five years immediately preceding the application filing date.

Reciprocity

Admission on Motion in Arkansas is based on reciprocity. The attorney must establish that the state, territory, or the District of Columbia where the attorney has or had a principal place of business for the practice of law for the two years immediately preceding the application would allow Arkansas attorneys a similar accommodation. Applicants on continuous active military duty for three of the five years may, in the Board’s discretion, be excused from the two-year requirement.

Reciprocal Jurisdictions

See Arkansas’s published Reciprocal Jurisdictions list (including the Virgin Islands). The map above matches the U.S. states and D.C. on that list. Always confirm the current list before applying.

Additional Requirements

Arkansas’s Admission on Motion requirements under Rule XVI include:

Law Degree. A first professional degree in law (J.D. or LL.B.) from an ABA approved law school at the time the degree was conferred.

Character and Fitness. Attorneys must meet the character and fitness standards in Rule XIII.

Good Standing and Prior Bar Exam. Attorneys must currently be members in good standing in all jurisdictions where admitted and cannot be subject to lawyer discipline or a pending disciplinary matter. An attorney who failed an Arkansas bar examination within five years of filing is not eligible for Admission on Motion.

Practice of Law. Attorneys must have been primarily engaged in the active practice of law for three of the five years immediately preceding the application. “Active practice of law” under Rule XVI includes the following if performed where the applicant is admitted or in a jurisdiction that affirmatively permits the activity by a lawyer not admitted there:

• Private practice (representation of one or more clients)
• Judges of federal, state, territorial, or local courts of record
• Government attorneys (local, state, territorial, or federal agency, including military service)
• Judicial law clerks*
• Law professors teaching at ABA approved law schools
• Corporate counsel*

*Judicial law clerk and corporate counsel practice performed within Arkansas before Arkansas admission does not qualify toward the duration requirement. Unauthorized practice of law does not qualify.

MPRE. Rule XVI does not require an MPRE score for Admission on Motion.

Service of Process. Applicants must designate the Clerk of the Arkansas Supreme Court for service of process.

Arkansas Admission on Motion Application Procedure

See the Arkansas Judiciary Admission on Motion page for current instructions, forms, and fees. After eligibility certification, applicants must complete the Petition and Oath and file with the Clerk (with required licensure fees) within one year of certification.