Section 2-13 of the Connecticut Rules of Superior Court Regulating Admission to the Bargoverns admission to the Connecticut Bar for attorneys licensed in other jurisdictions. The process in Connecticut is called Admission Without Examination. Attorneys must have been lawfully engaged in the practice of law in a reciprocal jurisdiction as the applicant’s principal means of livelihood for five of the past ten years immediately preceding the application for admission.
Reciprocity
The Admission Without Examination procedure in Connecticut is based on bar reciprocity. Attorneys are eligible for admission if they are members of at least one other state bar, or the District of Columbia, that is reciprocal with Connecticut and meets Connecticut’s educational requirements. Reciprocal jurisdictions admit members of the Connecticut Bar without examination under provisions similar to those set out in Section 2-13. Reciprocity is determined as of the date the application for admission is filed.
| Attorneys from these states may be Admitted Without Examination in Connecticut | |
| Attorneys from these states cannot be Admitted Without Examination in Connecticut |
Reciprocal Jurisdictions
Connecticut’s Bar Reciprocity List is subject to change. Connecticut has determined that jurisdictions not included on the list are non-reciprocal. The map above identifies the states with which Connecticut has bar reciprocity.
Additional Requirements
Connecticut’s additional reciprocity requirements include:
Intent to Practice in Connecticut. Attorneys must intend to practice in Connecticut and devote the major portion of working time to the practice of law in Connecticut.
Attorneys seeking admission as clinical professors must intend to supervise law students in a clinical law program at an accredited Connecticut law school while a faculty member of that school.
Undergraduate Degree. A bachelor’s degree from a college or university approved by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.
Law Degree. A law degree from an ABA approved law school.
Character and Fitness. Attorneys must meet the applicable character and fitness standards.
Good Standing and Prior Bar Exam. Attorneys must be in good standing in all jurisdictions where admitted. Attorneys that have failed the Connecticut bar exam must satisfy the
five-year practice of law requirement subsequent to the failed Connecticut bar exam.
Practice of Law. Attorneys must have been lawfully engaged in the practice of law as the applicant’s principal means of livelihood for five of the past ten years immediately preceding the application for admission. “Practice of law” includes:
- Private Practice
- Judges (state or federal)
- Government Attorneys (attorney generals, district attorneys, state attorneys, public defenders)
- Judicial Clerks (state or federal)
- Military Attorneys (Judge Advocates)
- Law Professors teaching at CBEC approved law schools
- Corporate Counsel in a legal department
- Title Examiners at a title company
- Legal Aid Attorneys
*Clinical law professors qualify whether or not they were practicing in a reciprocal jurisdiction.
- Not specifically enumerated: No major categories
MPRE or Professional Responsibility Course. The attorney must achieve a scaled score of 80 or better on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE).
Connecticut Bar Reciprocity Application Procedure
Attorneys eligible for Admission Without Examination in Connecticut must complete the typed Application. Applications may be accepted at any time. The average processing time is five months.