Utah Bar Admissions

The rule governing the Unauthorized Practice of Law is Rule 5.5. Only an attorney who is an active, licensed member of the Bar in good standing may engage in the practice of law in Utah (see Rule 14-802). Unless one of the exceptions below applies, you may not practice law in Utah or you may be engaging in the Unauthorized Practice of Law.

Examples of exceptions:

1. a specific Utah or federal law expressly permits a person to practice without being licensed in this state, such as an attorney who
   1. practices patent or trademark law under the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO),
   2. qualifies for Registered military legal assistance certification for military lawyers under Rule 14-804, or
   3. qualifies for Pro Bono Authorization for Utah Inactive Attorney sand attorney Admitted in Other States under Rule 14-803.
2. the attorney is working as House Counsel and has an application pending before the Bar within 6 months of the employment start date (see Rule 14-719).
3. a Temporary Practice rule applies, such as
   1. Law Student Practice under Rule 14-807,
   2. Admission for Attorney by Pro Hac Vice under Rule 14-806), or
   3. The person has an application pending and the Admissions Office has granted either a
      1. Practice Pending Admission Certificate under Rule 14-809, OR
      2. Law Graduate Practice Certificate under Rule 14-807.

The following is a list of documents that are required of all applicants. 

1. Applicant Verification and Acknowledgement signed by applicant and notarized within 60 days of application submission.
2. Authorization and Release signed by applicant and notarized within 60 days of application submission.

Although applicants need not submit documentation for information provided on the application and Character and Fitness Questionnaire, applicants will need to provide detailed information regarding address history, employment history, and other biographical information. Therefore, applicants should review the information required and gather these details prior to starting an application.

The following non-exhaustive list includes circumstances that might require more detailed information. Please note that any links are merely a guide to help applicants find necessary information:

• Bankruptcy file (or click here) with the entire file with all documents and schedules.
  
• Bar complaint documentation including the complaint and the final resolution.
• Child support and spousal support (alimony) documentation with proof that payment obligations are up to date.
• Civil court file documentation including pleadings, motions, and final dispositions (State and Federal Court Resources; NCSC).
• Criminal court case documentation including final disposition and police reports (State and Federal Court Resources; NCSC).
• Current copy of any business or professional license.
• Debts: documents showing that debts have been paid off.
• Divorce file including Stipulated Agreement or Decree of Divorce (State and Federal Court Resources; NCSC). 
• Documentation related to contempt actions (State and Federal Court Resources; NCSC).
• Documents related to discipline or an investigation conducted by LSAC, a college, or a law school.
• Documentation related to failure to comply with court order including a warrant (State and Federal Court Resources; NCSC).
• Documentation relevant to action taken against a professional license.
  
• Military Documents including DD-214(s) and/or OER(s) or NCOER(s) including current status or discharge papers showing type of discharge. 
• Tax lien documentation including proof that lien has been lifted or is being addressed from both State and Federal entities.

DISCLAIMER: This webpage includes links to websites created and maintained by other public or private organizations. The Utah State Bar does not endorse the organizations or views represented by outside websites and takes no responsibility for, and exercises no control over, the accuracy, accessibility, copyright or trademark compliance or legality of the material contained on these websites. These links are merely a guide to help applicants find necessary documents.

You will need to search your own records for a copy of the score report and/or contact other jurisdictions to which you have applied to see if they have a record of the score. If they do, they should provide a letter verifying the MPRE score they have on record. If you are unable to find and provide evidence that you have received a score of 86 or above on the MPRE, you will need to retake the exam.

There are still several steps that the Motion for Admission list must go through before the applicant may be sworn in by the Utah Supreme Court. There are 4 Motions each year per: February, May, August, and October (Rule 14-716).

1. The Admissions Office finalizes the Motion for Admission list the month prior to the Swearing-In Ceremony. For example, the February Motion for Admission list is finalized in January.
2. The Motion list is sent to the Licensing Department for payment of Licensing dues. Admittees will receive an email from Licensing about where and how to pay licensing fees and the final deadline (a period of approximately 10 days). If you miss this deadline, your name will not be included on the Motion, and you will need to wait until the following Motion to pay your Licensing dues and be sworn in. If you have not yet received the email from Licensing, please check your spam folder for an email from licensing@utahbar.org.
3. Once the Licensing payment period has closed, the Motion list is sent on to the Utah State Bar Commissioners for approval. 
4. The Commissioners then send the approved Motion list to the Utah Supreme Court for the Court's approval.
5. The Utah Supreme Court then schedules the Swearing-In Ceremony for the admittees on their approved Motion list. The Court will contact admittees about the Ceremony including the date, time, and location.

No, Utah does not have an “Attorney Examination.” All exam applicants take the same test.

Unfortunately, no. If your state does not allow attorneys barred in Utah to be admitted by Motion, then Utah will not allow you to be admitted by Motion regardless of how long you have practiced.

Click here for a list of reciprocal jurisdictions.

There are various ways to prove by clear and convincing evidence that you meet the requirement that you have worked full time as an attorney for at least 36 months out of the last 60 months. This might include an employer verification letter (notarized), tax returns covering at least 3 of the last 5 years, billing hours, or other documentation sufficient to prove that the time requirement has been met. For Motion/Reciprocity Applicants under Rule 14-705, please fill out and upload the Active Practice Questionnaire - Motion/Reciprocity Applicants.

UBE Scores of 270 or above are transferable for up to 3 years from the date that the applicant sat for the Bar Exam (NOT the date the score was released or the date of admission in another jurisdiction). Please see Rule 14-712. 

Please also see Rule 14-703 Qualifications for admission of Student Applicants, and Rule 14-704 Qualifications for admission of Attorney Applicants.