Local Rule LR Gen 202: ELIGIBILITY AND PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION

LR Gen 202 ELIGIBILITY AND PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION

(a) Requirements for Admission. In order to be eligible for membership in the Bar of this Court, an attorney must:

(1) Be a member in good standing of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the State of Rhode Island; and

(2) Be a member in good standing in every other jurisdiction in which the attorney has been admitted to practice; and

(3) Certify that he or she has read and understands these Local Rules; and

(4) Establish to the satisfaction of this Court, that he or she is of good moral character and otherwise qualified and fit to be admitted to the Bar of this Court.

(b) Procedure for Admission.

(1) Application for Admission. An attorney applying for admission to the Bar of this Court must complete the application form through PACER, attach current (issued within 30 days of application) certificate(s) of good standing from the Rhode Island Supreme Court and any other jurisdiction in which the attorney has been admitted to practice (if applicable), and the admission fee fixed by the Court.

(2) Review of Application. The Clerk shall review the application and determine if the attorney satisfies the prerequisites for admission. If so, the Clerk shall direct the applicant to pay the admission fee. If the Clerk finds that the attorney does not satisfy the prerequisites for admission, the Clerk shall forward the application to the Chief Judge, or his or her designee, for review.

(3) Oath of Admission: Admitted attorneys shall make the following oath or affirmation before the Clerk:

Attorneys shall make the following oath or affirmation: I do solemnly [swear] [affirm] that, to the best of my knowledge and ability, I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take the obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will demean myself as an attorney, proctor, and solicitor of this court, uprightly and according to the law. [So help me God.]

The attorney will forward the signed Oath with a wet signature to the Clerk for filing. Upon making the prescribed oath or affirmation, the attorney shall be a member of the Bar of this Court.

Effective 4/1/24: §(b) amended; §(c) deleted. Effective 12/1/18: §§(a)-(c) amended to remove attendance at the Board of Bar Admissions course of instruction as a requirement for bar admission. Effective 12/1/16: §(a)(2)(B) amended. Effective 12/15/14: §§(b)(2) and (b)(4) amended. Effective 12/1/11: The numerical references in this rule were altered as part of the restyling of numerical references throughout the Local Rules. Effective 1/3/11: §§(a)(2)(A), (a)(3), (b)(3), and (c)(1)(A) amended; and §§(c)(3), (c)(4) and running footnote deleted to reflect suspension of bar examination requirement. Effective 1/5/09: §(a)(1) amended. Effective 3/17/08: Rule amended to reflect change in name of Board of Bar Admissions and §§(b)(2) and (b)(4) amended.

CROSS-REFERENCES See LR Gen 203 (Continuing Obligations of Members of Bar). See also Administrative Order 2007-05 (change in names of Board of Bar Examiners and Board of Bar Examiners Fund; suspension of Bar examination; filing fees).