Attorney Matters

Application Process for Admission to the Bar

The law requires that before admitting a person to the bar of the State of New York, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court must be satisfied that each applicant “possesses the character and general fitness requisite for an attorney and counsellor-at-law” (Judiciary Law § 90[1]) and it directs the creation of committees for the purpose of investigating the character and fitness of every applicant for admission to practice (CPLR 9401). Unless otherwise ordered by the Appellate Division, no person may be admitted to practice without having received a certificate from the proper committee attesting that it has carefully investigated the character and fitness of the applicant and that the applicant is of good character and is fit to practice (CPLR 9404).

In the Second Judicial Department, the Appellate Division has created two Committees on Character and Fitness, one for the Second, Tenth, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts and another for the Ninth Judicial District. Committee members are not salaried but are reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties (Judiciary Law § 90[1][c]). The Committees are supported by a full-time Executive Director and Counsel and central staff with offices in Brooklyn. The Committees may be contacted at:

Committees on Character & Fitness
Second Judicial Department
335 Adams Street, Room 2404
Brooklyn, NY 11201
AD2CCF@nycourts.gov
(718) 923-6360

Every person who is a candidate for admission to the bar of this state based upon taking and successfully passing the New York State Bar Examination (see 22 NYCRR 520.2), or for reciprocal admission on motion based, inter alia, upon admission to practice before the court of last resort in another state, territory, or the District of Columbia (see 22 NYCRR 520.10), and every person seeking licensure as a legal consultant (see 22 NYCRR parts 521, 692), must undergo an investigation of their character and fitness. The process requires the candidate to complete an application questionnaire, to complete or secure the completion of several additional forms, to submit required documentation, and to appear for a personal interview before a member of the Committees on Character and Fitness.

See the following guides for further information:

• How to Apply for Admission to Practice Upon Examination
• How to Apply for Admission on Motion (Reciprocity)
  
  
• APRIL 27, 2020 STATEMENT FROM THE APPELLATE DIVISION PRESIDING JUSTICES REGARDING BAR ADMISSION PRACTICES

The instructions and forms necessary to complete an application for admission to practice are:

• Instructions
• Part I Application
• Part II Moral Character
• Part III Law Related Employment
• Part IV Form Law School Certificate
• 50 Hours Pro Bono Requirement (see Rule of the Court of Appeals §520.16)
• Skills Form Affidavit
• Pro Bono Scholars Program Affidavit of Completion
• Supplemental Instructions (Applicable to the Second Judicial Department only.)

  The Application for Admission must be filed with the Appellate Division Department as indicated on the Notice of Certification. A copy of the Notice of Certification must be filed along with the completed Application for Admission. Section 520.12(d)(1) of the Rules of the New York State Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law requires you to file the complete Application for Admission to the Bar with the Supreme Court, Appellate Division within three years from the date when you sat for the second day of the bar examination. All questions regarding your application to the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department, for admission to practice should be directed to the Committees on Character and Fitness.

  Applicants for admission are also required to provide proof of compliance with the Mandatory 50-Hour Pro Bono Requirement. For information on the requirement please visit:
  http://ww2.nycourts.gov/attorneys/probono/baradmissionreqs.shtml  

  Applicants who participated in the Pro Bono Scholars Program are required to file the Form Affidavit confirming completion of the Pro Bono Scholars Program. For information on the Pro Bono Scholars Program and the Form Affidavit, please visit: http://www.nycourts.gov/ATTORNEYS/probonoscholars/index.shtml

  FAQs for New York’s Skills Competency and Professional Values Bar Admission Requirement are available at:
  http://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps/news/skills.pdf

  Attorney Registration and Fee Payment: All applicants are also required to file an initial biennial attorney registration with the Unified Court System prior to being admitted to the New York bar. This registration and fee payment must now be completed online by both applicants who passed the bar examination and applicants for admission on motion. Complete instructions on how to create a new online account with the Attorney Registration Unit to file your registration electronically is available at:  https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/aronline/BoleSearch