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Utah Bar Admissions

UTAH STATE BAR Bar Operations & Admissions
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Overview of the Character and Fitness Investigation Process

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

*Please note that even if your law school admits you or retains you after disclosure of a character and fitness issue, this does NOT guarantee that you will pass Character and Fitness with the Utah State Bar. Please carefully review Rule 14-708 Character and fitness.

Using services provided by the NCBE, the Utah State Bar receives a background investigation on every Applicant for admission to the Bar. Under Rule 14-708 of the Rules Governing Admission to the Utah State Bar all Examination Applicants must be approved by the Character and Fitness Committee prior to sitting for the Bar Examination. Applicants who do not have to sit for the Utah Bar Examination must be approved by the Character and Fitness Committee prior to their inclusion on any motion to be admitted before the Utah Supreme Court.

The burden of proof is on the Applicant to establish by clear and convincing evidence that she or he has the requisite character and fitness to practice law. Therefore, it is important to substantiate any claims or explanations with appropriate documentation.

To avoid delays in the completion of the investigation, be certain to provide all information requested in the application, including:

  • Complete and accurate mailing addresses for employers and references.
  • Complete and detailed accounts of all circumstances where explanations are required, including dates, location, and final outcome.

Persons who file late applications will be given the lowest priority for completion of the background investigation and character and fitness approval. Applicants whose background investigations are not completed by the date of the examination will have their applications deferred to the next Bar Examination.

The Utah State Bar is not at liberty to engage in discussions relative to the status of an investigation. Applicants will be contacted, however, if explanations are inadequate, additional details are needed, or the Character and Fitness Committee requests your appearance to discuss matters relative to your character and fitness for admission.


INVESTIGATION

Once you have submitted an application for admission, your character and fitness questionnaire will be sent to the NCBE to conduct an investigation. The NCBE will contact you within 48 hours of your submission.

The character and fitness investigation will include, but is not limited to, the following areas:

  1. Court Records. Court records from any state(s) you have lived for more than six months to verify that all criminal, civil, and traffic cases have been reported.
  2. Criminal History. A comprehensive search for any criminal charges or citations in your past.
  3. Financial History including Civil cases. This includes child support and spousal support. As part of the background investigation, the Utah State Bar will obtain a credit report for every Applicant. If you have never resided or established credit in the United States, you may be asked to submit a credit history from your country of residence.
    1. Applicants are expected to be current on ALL their financial obligations.
    2. Applicants with accounts past due or with unpaid judgments, taxes, liens, child support, or spousal support will NOT be approved.
    3. In certain situations, an applicant may be considered current on past due accounts if she or he can demonstrate that payment arrangements have been made and kept with creditor(s) for a minimum of six months.
  4. Professional History. This includes but is not limited to employment discipline, termination of employment, bar resignation, bar complaints, disbarment or bar suspension, or discipline by a licensing organization.
  5. Education. Your law school will be contacted to obtain relevant information and you may be asked to provide a copy of your law school application.
  6. References. The references you list in your application will receive an electronic form to submit on your behalf.
  7. Bar Admission in other Jurisdictions. Records related to other jurisdictions to which you have applied and/or been admitted to verify information and perhaps obtain a copy of your application.



DENIED APPLICANTS

Per Rule 14-708(h), an applicant whose application is denied must wait at least one year before she or he may reapply unless another date is specified in the denial letter. Once the Applicant is permitted to apply again, a standard Application must be filed in accordance with the normal deadlines and late fees.