WASHINGTON – The District of Columbia Court of Appeals (DCCA), in collaboration with the District of Columbia Bar (DC Bar), is pleased to announce the launch of phase I of an online application process for applicants to the DC Bar.

Phase I of the implementation will begin today. All applicants who seek to be admitted to the DC Bar by motion (that is, based on years of practice and/or bar exam score in another jurisdiction) will submit their application online. The DCCA and the DC Bar share the goal of improving the overall application experience for prospective bar applicants. The new system will utilize technology to reduce significantly the time it takes to fill out and file an application for admittance to the DC Bar, and for the Committee on Admissions staff to review it.

“The DC Court of Appeals and its Admissions staff are constantly striving to provide as streamlined and convenient a process as possible for those applying for admission to the DC Bar. This new online application process should be easier and more transparent for bar applicants and will allow our staff to process those applications more expeditiously. The bar examination is designed to be rigorous; submitting one’s application to become a member of the bar should not be,” said Chief Judge Eric T. Washington.

Phase II (which is expected to launch early in 2017) will be for those applicants who seek admission by examination.

“We have appreciated the opportunity to partner with the District of Columbia Court of Appeals to provide it with a technology solution that will aid in its admissions’ efforts. This new solution will benefit future members of the DC Bar by providing the most sophisticated online admissions process in the country,” said Annamaria Steward, President of the DC Bar.

The online application links will be available on the DC Court of Appeals’ Committee on Admissions page: https://www.dccourts.gov/court-of-appeals/committee-on-admissions.