ShareCommittee on Admissions
The Committee on Admissions reviews all applications for admission to the District of Columbia Bar. See DC App. Rule 46. The Committee receives approximately 6,500 applications per year, administers the bar exam, conducts extensive character and fitness investigations including informal meetings and formal hearings, and files recommendations with the court regarding applications or petitions.
IMPORTANT NOTICES 2021
12/8/2020 NOTICE TO APPLICANTS TRANSFERING AN OCTOBER SCORE FROM A RECIPROCAL JURISDICTION
If you are transferring a score from a reciprocal remote jurisdiction (Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon and Vermont) please upload a document in the “UBE Score” tab in the application portal stating that you took the October remote exam and the name of the Jurisdiction where you took the exam.
1/7/2021 NOTICE TO APPLICANTS WISHING TO APPLY FOR ADMISSION BY EMERGENCY EXAM WAIVER
Instructions for the application are available here. (PDF)
1/7/2021 SWEAR-IN CEREMONY REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS (PDF)
12/21/2020 IMPORTANT DEADLINES FOR FEBRUARY BAR EXAM APPLICANTS (PDF)
12/16/2020 Updated Schedules for February Bar Exam with Accommodations (PDF)
12/11/2020 NOTICE OF OFFICIAL OCTOBER 2020 BAR EXAM RESULTS (PDF)
12/9/2020 District of Columbia Unofficial Results October 2020 Remote Bar Exam (PDF)
12/8/2020 NOTICE REGARDING OCTOBER 2020 REMOTE BAR EXAM RESULTS
The unofficial pass/fail results of the October remote bar exam will be posted by EXAM ID on the Committee on Admissions website by 9:00am, December 9, 2020. The EXAM ID is the five-digit number beginning with “2” used by you for your ExamSoft account and on your exam. Applicants will receive an email with their official exam scaled scores and raw essay scores by 5:00pm on Thursday, December 10, 2020. Please note that the emails will not all arrive at the same time. A list of the successful applicants will be posted on the COA website no later than 5:00pm on Friday, December 11, 2020. Notices of certification for admission will be sent by email on a rolling basis beginning December 21, 2020.
12/3/2020 NOTICE TO APPLICANTS WHO WISH TO TRANSFER A REMOTE SCORE FROM A RECIPROCAL JURISDICTION
The Committee On Admissions will automatically receive the scores from the reciprocal jurisdictions. Please apply as a “UBE Score transfer”. Under the “UBE Score” tab, please upload a WORD document with your name, the name of the jurisdiction where you took the exam, and the date of the exam. The COA staff will approve scores on a rolling basis after receiving the scores from the jurisdiction. If you previously applied to D.C. and are unable to start a new application, please email sparrish [at] dcappeals.gov for technical assistance. Please note that applications are reviewed in order of the date of submission. The process for admission by UBE score transfer may take up to six months.
11/19/2020 IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING UPDATED MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS (PDF) for computers used for the February Remote Bar Exam
11/17/2020 NOTICE TO FEBRUARY BAR EXAM APPLICANTS
The MBE ONLY or MPT/MEE ONLY options are NOT available for the February 2021 bar exam. Applicants for the February bar exam must take the full UBE. Applicants who are unsuccessful on the October Remote exam administered in the District of Columbia may apply for the February exam December 16 - 23, 2020.
11/17/2020 NOTICE TO APPLICANTS WISHING TO APPLY BY TRANSFERRED REMOTE EXAM SCORE
Applicants who took the October Remote Exam in a reciprocal jurisdiction and who earned a minimum score of 266 may apply on motion for admission. Please select "Motion By UBE Score Transfer" under the "Other Applications for Admission" tab to apply.
11/17/2020 NOTICE TO APPLICANTS WISHING TO APPLY BY TRANSFERRED MBE SCORE
To apply by this method you must have a score from an administration of the 200 question MBE. You may not apply with a score from a remote administration where the multiple choice portion of the exam was not a full MBE.
11/10/2020 NOTICE TO APPLICANTS WHO ARE APPLYING FOR ACCOMMODATIONS
Please review General Information Regarding Accommodations (PDF) for the February Remote Bar Exam
11/10/2020 NOTICE TO APPLICANTS WHO DEFERRED FEES FROM THE OCTOBER (or JULY) REMOTE EXAM
Please follow the exam instructions to reapply for the February 2021 exam. Once you have completed your application DO NOT PAY. Send an email to: Barexamrefund [at] dcappeals.gov stating that you have applied for the February exam and wish to use your deferred October/July fees.
11/6/2020 The application for the February 2021 Uniform Bar Exam opens November 10th at 10:00am EST. Please read the instructions carefully and monitor this website weekly until the exam. Applicants who requested a fee deferral from the July/October exams will be required to re-apply although payment will not be required. Instructions on how to apply with deferred fees will be posted on November 10th.(PDF)
11/4/2020 FAQs for Temporary Supervised Practice and Emergency Exam Waiver Admission (PDF)
10/27/2020 In light of continued pandemic conditions, to protect the health and safety of examinees, proctors, and court staff, while performing its duty to assure the competence of persons licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia, the Court will administer the remote Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), which is now available, in February 2021. The application will open at 10:00 am on November 10, 2020 and close at 5:00 pm on November 20, 2020. Applicants who were unsuccessful on the October exam may register December 16 to 23. Applicants may check the National Conference of Bar Examiners website for additional information regarding the remote UBE.
10/8/2020 Order denying motion to amend D.C. App. R. 46A(e) (PDF)
9/28/2020 Order denying emergency petition to amend D.C. App. R. 46-A, emergency exam waiver admission (PDF)
9/24/2020 Order regarding emergency temporary practice and emergency exam waiver admission in the District of Columbia (PDF)
9/15/2020 The DC Court of Appeals issued an order granting, in part, the request included in an emergency petition to allow law school graduates to practice law in DC without taking the bar exam ("diploma privilege"). (PDF) The Court expects to issue emergency rules on Monday, September 28, expanding current provisions allowing temporary practice under supervision and potentially providing emergency exam-waiver admission (referred to as "diploma privilege" by the petitioners) for qualifying applicants. The Committee on Admissions staff does not have additional information on the content of the September 28 rules.
8/20/2020 UPDATE TO NOTICE REGARDING RECIPROCITY FOR THE OCTOBER 2020 REMOTE EXAM FOR BAR ADMISSION
The District of Columbia Committee on Admissions is pleased to announce that we have entered a reciprocity agreement with Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont for the portability of scores from the October 2020 Remote Bar Exam. The Committee on Admissions will continue to seek reciprocity with other jurisdictions offering the October 2020 Remote Bar Exam. Applicants who do not wish to have their scores reported to other jurisdictions must opt out prior to taking the exam. More details will be posted on our website in the coming weeks. To be eligible to apply under the reciprocity agreement, applicants must attain a passing score as set by the jurisdiction to which they wish to apply as well as meet all other admission requirements for that jurisdiction.
5/29/2020 Bar Examination February 2020 Results click here.
3/23/2020 Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law Opinion 24-20: Teleworking from Home and the COVID-19 Pandemic
COMMITTEE ON ADMISSIONS CONTACT INFORMATION
- For general admissions questions including application status updates, and certification: coa [at] dcappeals.gov
- For questions regarding wall certificates / plaques: nlane [at] dcappeals.gov
- For questions regarding withdrawals from the February 2020 Bar Exam: barexamwithdrawal [at] dcappeals.gov
- For pro hac vice applications and pro bono receipts: sparrish [at] dcappeals.gov
- For questions regarding unauthorized practice of law: cupl [at] dcappeals.gov
- For questions regarding accommodations for the July 2020 bar exam: dcaccommodations [at] dcappeals.gov
- For submitting oath statements and related questions: attyoath [at] dcappeals.gov
- For technical help with submitting applications: sparrish [at] dcappeals.gov
- For questions regarding Rule 46 admission requirements and Rule 49 extension requests: sshanks [at] dcappeals.gov
10/30/2019 Bar Examination July 2019 Results click here.
2/4/2019 Office of the Committee on Admissions and Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law Phone hours:
Monday through Friday 9 am to 11 am and 3 pm to 5 pm.
2/3/2019 NOTICE TO APPLICANTS FOR ADMISSION on MOTION WHO ARE SUBJECT TO THE 360 DAY PRACTICE LIMITATION UNDER RULE 49
Pursuant to the amendment to D.C. Court of Appeals Rule 49(c)(8), “Upon request and for good cause shown, the Director of the Committee on Admissions may extend beyond 360 days the period during which a person is authorized to practice under Rule 49(c)(8).” Please submit all requests in writing to: Shela Shanks, Director, COA/CUPL by email: sshanks [at] dcappeals.gov
2/1/2019 A Message of Thanks from the DC Court of Appeals
1/3/2019 Administrative Order 1-19 for Temporary Suspension of Rule Requiring Law Students Practicing in D.C. to Register with this Court and be issued a Student Bar Membership Card
1/8/2018 Certificates of Good Standing are now issued by the DC Bar on behalf of the Court of Appeals. Mail requests received by the Committee on Admissions will be returned to the requestor. For more information on the processing of Certificates please contact the DC Bar. Pro hac vice and pro bono applications continue to be issued by the Office of the Committee on Admissions.
Please ensure that "dcappeals.gov" is a marked as a "trusted sender" in your email account so that you will receive important notifications from the Office of Admissions.
Bar exam applications are not currently being accepted. Please check back periodically for the application for the next Bar Exam.
Information booklets, which include practice questions and other study materials for the MEE, MPT, and MBE, are available from the NCBE's website.
MEE, MPT, and MBE Information Booklets
Time of Notice and Publication of Bar Examination Results
The District of Columbia Bar Examination is administered twice per year. Applicants who sit for the February bar examination will typically be notified in writing of the results of their examination by mid-May. Applicants who sit for the July bar examination will typically be notified in writing of the results of their examination in late October. An alphabetical list of the successful applicants shall be published with the request that any information tending to affect the eligibility of an applicant on moral grounds be furnished to the Committee. The first publication shall be at least 30 days before the Committee reports to the court. This list will be posted in the office of the Committee on Admissions on the first floor of the Historic Courthouse. The list will also be posted on this website as well as the DC Bar's website.
An unsuccessful applicant will receive written notification which shall contain the applicant's raw score for each question in the written component, the written component scaled score, the MBE scaled score, and the combined UBE scaled score. DC App. Rule 46(c)(11)(B). An unsuccessful applicant may arrange to review his or her graded written component answers, in accordance with DC App. Rule 46(c)(12).
This summary is not a definitive description of the rules governing admission. For a definitive description please consult Rule 46 of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
Please click on the link by the appropriate rule provision to apply.
Login to Continue or Check Your Online Application for Admission to the DC Bar (Powered by netFORUM)
| Application Type | Application Requirements |
|---|---|
| Rule 46(d)(3) – Motion by UBE score transfer Click here to apply under Rule 46(d)(3) |
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| Rule 46(e)(3)(A) – Motion by 5 Year Provision Click here to apply under Rule 46(e)(3)(A) |
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| Rule 46(e)(3)(B) – Motion by MBE Score Transfer Click here to apply under Rule 46(e)(3)(B) |
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Before you begin the electronic application, you must read and print the District of Columbia specific Instructions and Forms.
Also, please note that the Committee on Admissions uses the electronic application developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners. Clicking on the link below will redirect you to the NCBE's website where you will be required to create a user account to gain access to the electronic application.
Admissions Forms
| Title | Download PDF |
|---|---|
| Law School Certification Form (Final) - ABA Law School | Download |
| Law School Certification Form - Non-ABA Law School | Download |
| Law School Certification Form - 26 Credit Hours | Download |
| Essay Scaled Score Release Form | Download |
| General Information In Considering Whether You Need Test Accommodations For A Disability | Download |
| Testing Accommodations - Applicant Request Form | Download |
| Testing Accommodations - Guidelines for Medical Documentation | Download |
| Supplemental Questionnaire Form | Download |
| Attorney Oath of Admission to the DC Bar | Download |
| Application for Exam Waiver Admission Form | Download |
| Instructions for Emergency Exam Waiver Application Form | Download |
Admissions Rules
| Title | Download PDF |
|---|---|
| Admission Based on COVID-19 Emergency Examination Waiver - Rule 46(a) | Download |
| Admission by Examination - Rule 46(c) | Download |
| Admission by Transfer of UBE Score – Rule 46 (d) | Download |
| Admission without Examination – Rule 46 (e) | Download |
| License to Practice as a Special legal Consultant – Rule 46 (f) | Download |
| Legal Assistance by Law Students - Rule 48 | Download |
Additional Information
| Title | Download PDF |
|---|---|
| Admissions Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (currently being updated) | Download |
| Guidance for Graduates of Non-ABA Approved Law Schools | Download |
| Instructions for Completing the Attorney Oath of Admission in Absentia After Certification | Download |
For Bar Members
| Title | Download PDF |
|---|---|
| Engraved Wall Certificate | Download |
| Certificate Concerning Discipline | Download |
| Request Verification of Reciprocity | Download |
Committee Members
Chair
Claudia A. Withers
Vice Chair
Elizabeth A. Greenidge
Members
Stephen Douglas Juge
Alvin H. Thomas, Jr.
Kenneth J. Nunnenkamp
Almo J. Carter
Eric C. Schmale
Janell M. Wolfe
James P. Connor
Erica Deray
Robin M. Earnest
Clarence K. Powell
Belinda M. Tilley
Carrie Weletz
Counsel
Thomas R. Healy
Director, Committee on Admissions and the Unauthorized Practice of Law
Shela Shanks
