Committee on Admissions
D.C. Court of Appeals
430 E Street NW, Room 123
Washington, DC 20001
TEL: 202-879-2710
FAX: 202-879-2794
www.dcappeals.gov
The Committee on Admissions reviews all applications for admission to the District of Columbia Bar. See D.C. App. Rule 46. The Committee receives more than 3,500 applications per year, conducts extensive character and fitness investigations including informal meetings and formal hearings, and files recommendations with the court regarding applications or petitions.
Effective with the July 2016 Administration, the District of Columbia administers the Multistate Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), which is given on the last Wednesdays of February and July and the immediately preceding Tuesdays. The Tuesday session consists of the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT). The Wednesday session is the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE).
For further information on the multistate examinations, please refer to the relevant tabs elsewhere in this LibGuide.
Admission to the Bar of the District of Columbia can be sought: by examination, on motion, or as a "special legal consultant." Admission by examination requires the following:
The current instruction sheet for application by examination can be found linked on the Committee on Admissions' page.
Admission on motion is available to applicants who:
Formal requirements are:
The current instruction sheet for Admission on Motion can be found linked on the Committee on Admissions' page.
Admission as a special legal consultant is available to foreign attorneys upon application. Requirements are:
Further details on application for admission as a special legal consultant can be found here: Admission as Special Legal Consultant - Instructions
The Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia subjects all applicants to a character background check conducted by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). Details of the NCBE's Character & Fitness review can be found at http://www.ncbex.org/character-and-fitness.