Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 7, Article V governs admission to the Tennessee Bar for attorneys licensed in other jurisdictions. The process in Tennessee is called Admission by Comity. Attorneys must have been actively engaged in the practice of law pursuant to a law license for five of the seven years immediately preceding the application for admission.
Reciprocal Jurisdictions
The process in Tennessee is not based on reciprocity with other jurisdictions. Attorneys meeting the requirements may apply for admission.
| Attorneys from these states may be Admitted on Motion in Tennessee |
Additional Requirements
Tennessee’s additional reciprocity requirements include:
Intent to Practice in Tennessee.
Undergraduate Degree. A bachelor’s degree of an accredited institution.
Law Degree. A law degree from an ABA approved law school.
Character and Fitness. Attorneys must meet the applicable character and fitness standards. The character and fitness report is conducted by the NCBE.
Good Standing and Prior Bar Exam. Attorneys must be in good standing in all jurisdictions where admitted. The Board may waive the good standing requirement under exceptional circumstances, but attorneys must be of good moral character.
Attorneys must have passed a bar exam equivalent to that of Tennessee’s bar exam with an equivalent passing grade to the Tennessee bar exam. Attorneys admitted under a diploma privilege may petition for a waiver of this requirement.
Practice of Law. Attorneys must have actively engaged in the practice of law full-time pursuant to a law license for five of the seven years immediately preceding the application for admission. Under exceptional circumstances, the Board may waive the period for practice of law immediately preceding the application for admission.
“Practice of law” includes:
- Private or Public Practice
- Judges (included)
- Government Attorneys (included)
- Judicial Clerks (included)
- Military Attorneys (included)
- Law Professors teaching at ABA approved law schools
- Corporate Counsel (included)
- The Board has the discretion to allow other full-time activities. The criteria include time devoted to work, nature of the work, whether legal training or a law license was a prerequisite for employment, and other similar matters.
- Not specifically enumerated (but included): Judges, Government Attorneys, Judicial Clerks, Military Attorneys, and Corporate Counsel
MPRE. The Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) is not required.
Tennessee Bar Reciprocity Application Procedure
Attorneys eligible for Admission by Comity in Tennessee must complete the Application Procedure. Applications are accepted at any time.