D.C. Bar Reciprocity

D.C. Court of Appeals Rule 46 governs admission to the D.C. Bar. Admission without examination based on practice in another U.S. jurisdiction is available under the Motion / 3-year provision (Rule 46(e)). Effective April 24, 2026, applicants must have actively practiced law as a member in good standing of a bar of a court of general jurisdiction in the United States for three of the five years immediately preceding the application. See the Committee’s Rule 46 motion announcement and active practice guidance.

Admission on Motion (Criteria-Based)

D.C. does not use a reciprocal-jurisdiction list for this path. Attorneys from any qualifying U.S. jurisdiction may seek admission without examination if they meet Rule 46. The map below reflects that model. Alternate paths (examination in D.C. or UBE score transfer) are described on the Committee site and are not shown on this map.

Additional Requirements

D.C. admission without examination requirements include:

Active Practice. Active practice of law as a member in good standing of a U.S. court of general jurisdiction bar for three of the five years immediately preceding filing. Per Committee guidance, active practice includes private practice; local/state/territorial/federal agency lawyers (including military); teaching at an ABA-approved law school; judges of courts of record; judicial law clerks; and corporate counsel.

Law Degree. ABA approval is not required solely for the motion path under current Rule 46 practice (confirm current Committee instructions when applying). Character and fitness review applies.

MPRE. Confirm current Committee instructions for motion applicants. Separate D.C. examination / UBE transfer paths commonly reference an MPRE scaled score of 75.

D.C. Application Procedure

Apply through the D.C. Court of Appeals Committee on Admissions (Motion by 3-Year Provision). See Information & Applications for current forms and fees.