The process in New Hampshire is called Admission on Motion. Attorneys must have been admitted by bar exam in another jurisdiction and have been primarily engaged in the practice of law for five of the seven years immediately preceding the application for admission.
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Follow the step by step process or choose what situation that best describes you: Complete my New Hampshire Undergraduate Pre-Law. Take the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) Get my J.D. Degree in New Hampshire. Take the New Hampshire State Bar Exam. Now that You’ve Been Admitted to the Bar.
To practice law and give legal advice in the State of New Hampshire, a lawyer needs a license. If he does not have a license, the Bar will consider him a nonlawyer. This means he will not be able to call himself an attorney.
Admission by Motion without Examination. Lawyers admitted to the bar in another state, territory or the District of Columbia may be eligible to apply for admission to the New Hampshire bar without examination. The requirements for admission on motion without examination are set forth in Supreme Court Rule 42 (XI), and vary depending upon the state or territory in which the …
New Hampshire Supreme Court Rule 42 governs admission to the New Hampshire bar. It provides four ways for a person to become a member of the bar: (I) by examination; (II) by motion without examination; (III) by transferred Uniform Bar Examination ("UBE") score; and (IV) after completion of the Daniel Webster Scholar Honors Program.
The process in New Hampshire is called Admission on Motion. Attorneys must have been admitted by bar exam in another jurisdiction and have been primarily engaged in the practice of law for five of the seven years immediately preceding the application for admission. In addition, the attorney must have passed a bar exam in a reciprocal jurisdiction and currently be in good standing in that jurisdiction OR have met the duration practice requirement in a reciprocal jurisdiction.
Mandatory Practice Skills Seminar. Attorneys are required to attend the New Hampshire practice skills course that is offered once each year. The seminar must be completed within two years of admission. Failing to meet this requirement results in a suspended license. The time period may be extended for exceptional circumstances and after a written application to the court.
Attorneys must have been primarily engaged in the active practice of law in a reciprocal jurisdiction for five of the seven years immediately preceding the application for admission. “Active practice of law” includes:
The school must have a three-year course requiring students to devote substantially all of their working time to study (full -time school); a four-year course equivalent to the working hours of a three-year course in a full-time law school where students devote only part of their working time to their studies (part-time law school); or a combination of the two. Study in any law school permitting courses by correspondence or without attendance does not qualify.
Attorneys must be in good standing in all jurisdictions where admitted and cannot be subject to discipline or a pending disciplinary proceeding. Attorneys cannot have resigned from the New Hampshire Bar. Attorneys must also have passed a bar exam and cannot have failed the New Hampshire bar exam within five years of the application for admission.
New Hampshire’s Reciprocity List contains a preliminary determination of reciprocal and non-reciprocal jurisdictions. The list is only a preliminary determination and is subject to change. The map above identifies the states with which New Hampshire has bar reciprocity.
The time period may be extended for exceptional circumstances and after a written application to the court. The license may be suspended if the attorney leaves New Hampshire for a military or government assignment and notifies the court in writing.
Maine is also considered a reciprocal jurisdiction under the provisions of Supreme Court Rule 42 (XI) (a), which does not include a CLE requirement. Therefore, Maine attorneys may apply under either Rule 42 (XI) (a) or 42 (XI) (c). Information regarding applications made pursuant to Rule 42 (XI) (a) is set forth below in Section II B.
Applicants seeking admission to the bar by motion without examination are cautioned that the process of review for such motions by the Committee on Character and Fitness and the Supreme Court may be lengthy.
Lawyers admitted to the bar in another state, territory or the District of Columbia may be eligible to apply for admission to the New Hampshire bar without examination. The requirements for admission on motion without examination are set forth in Supreme Court Rule 42 (XI), and vary depending upon the state or territory in which the lawyer is practicing. As discussed more fully below, there are specific eligibility requirements applicable to lawyers practicing in Maine and Vermont, and general provisions applicable to lawyers practicing in other reciprocal jurisdictions. An applicant seeking admission on motion should consult the list of Reciprocal Jurisdictions for Admission on Motion to the New Hampshire Bar to determine which jurisdictions have been determined to be reciprocal with New Hampshire.
February 2022 bar examination: Please be advised that New Hampshire intends to administer an in-person bar examination in February 2022. The location will be announced at a later date. The exam procedures will be governed by public health protocols in effect at the time of the examination.
Spouses of active military personnel assigned to New Hampshire may seek waiver of strict compliance with the duration of practice requirements of the rules governing admission by motion without examination and admission by transferred UBE score. Military spouses interested in the wavier
The Uniform Bar Exam. Unlike individual state bar examinations, the uniform bar examination (UBE) is standardized. Currently, 13 states administer the UBE. Attorneys who pass the UBE in one state can apply for admission to the bar in another UBE state by transferring their score. If the attorney's UBE score is high enough for admission in the second state, the attorney can be admitted to practice law there.
The simple answer is no: Attorneys must be admitted to the bar in each state they wish to practice in. However, legal answers are rarely so simple, and indeed, there are exceptions that would allow an attorney from one state to practice in another state.
Attorneys generally can only practice law in the state where they took and passed the bar exam. But there are a few exceptions. For example:
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DELAWARE: The state does not offer reciprocity.
GEORGIA: Georgia offers a shorter bar examination for lawyers admitted by examination and in good standing in another state for at least twelve months prior to taking its Attorneys’ Examination. Also offers admission without examination for lawyers from reciprocal states who have practiced at least five years.
The most obvious reason to become a multi-state lawyer is to increase the number of potential clients you can represent. This is especially true for attorneys who have a highly specialized practice and may find themselves unable to expand in their current market.
This means that litigators often decide against practicing in multiple states due to the hassle of getting to the point where they are able to work.
Sitting for the Bar Exam in multiple states is the most obvious way to become a multi-state lawyer, but it is not a popular route to take. However, when a state doesn’t offer any reciprocity or accept UBE scores, there may be no alternative option. Many multi-state lawyers consider taking a second state’s bar exam to be much easier and less stressful than the first time they passed.
As more and more work shifts into the online space, passing the bar in multiple states is becoming easier than it has ever been.
Many states offer reciprocity if you meet certain conditions. States that offer reciprocity typically require a certain amount of experience practicing law, and/or may allow you to practice if you have passed the bar in a state they have deemed allowable.
Many people have been wondering about how to be a multi-state lawyer, especially now that so many lawyers are working from home. While it’s difficult, and there are significant costs involved, there are many benefits to being a lawyer and being able to practice law in multiple jurisdictions. As more and more work shifts into the online space, passing the bar in multiple states is becoming easier than it has ever been.
While it is always going to be easier to simply practice in a single jurisdiction, becoming a multi-state lawyer does have benefits. If you feel as though the advantages are worth the cost and time it would take to obtain multiple bar cards, it could give you increased opportunities and allow you to expand your business.
Rules posted here have been adopted and are in effect as noted, but have not yet been certified. Once certified, they will be posted on the OLS website at the link listed above under “Rules”. Until they are certified, the adopted rules are the official version of the rules in effect.
Public Hearing: Wednesday, February 23, 2022 at 1:30 PM in the Hearing Room at the OPLC offices at 7 Eagle Square, Concord NH
Public Hearing: Thursday, March 3, 2022 at 1:30 PM in the Hearing Room at the OPLC offices at 7 Eagle Square, Concord NH