AZ Bar flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Good Moral Character

The baseline admission requirement that an applicant demonstrate honesty, integrity, and fitness to practice; the Committee investigates arrests, debts, and omissions, and may hold a hearing before certifying the applicant.

Uniform Bar Exam Passing Score

Arizona administers the UBE and requires a scaled score of at least 273 out of 400 for admission; transferred UBE scores meeting that threshold may be accepted.

MPRE Score Requirement

Applicants must pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination with a scaled score of 85 or higher; the score remains valid only for the period specified by Supreme Court rule.

Admission on Motion

A discretionary path to admission without sitting for the bar exam, generally requiring years of active practice in a qualifying jurisdiction and a satisfactory character review.

Registered In-House Counsel

A lawyer licensed elsewhere may register to practice solely for one Arizona employer without full admission, subject to registration, annual renewal, and compliance with Arizona ethical rules.

Law Office Study Pathway

An alternative to law school in Arizona under which a candidate studies law in a supervised law office and then sits for the bar examination under Supreme Court rules.

Disclosure Duty on Application

Applicants must reveal all arrests, charges, and convictions, including sealed or expunged matters where lawfully required; material omissions are independent grounds for denial of admission.

Character Committee Hearing

A formal proceeding in which an applicant responds to concerns about fitness; the applicant bears the burden of showing good moral character by clear and convincing evidence.

Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct

Codified at Ariz. R. Sup. Ct. 42, these rules govern lawyer conduct from ER 1.0 through ER 8.5; violations may lead to discipline even absent client harm.

Competence Under ER 1.1

A lawyer must provide the legal knowledge, skill, thoroughness, and preparation reasonably necessary; Arizona recognizes a duty to understand relevant technology used in representation.

Confidentiality Under ER 1.6

A lawyer may not reveal information relating to representation without informed consent, except as the rule permits, such as preventing reasonably certain death or substantial bodily harm.

Concurrent Conflict Waiver

Under ER 1.7, a concurrent conflict may be cured by informed consent confirmed in writing if the lawyer reasonably believes competent and diligent representation remains possible.

Business Transaction With Client

ER 1.8(a) requires fair terms, written disclosure, advice to obtain independent counsel, and written informed consent before a lawyer enters a business deal with a client.

Reasonable Fee Requirement

ER 1.5 requires fees to be reasonable; contingent fees must be written, and Arizona generally prohibits contingent fees in criminal and domestic relations matters.

Candor to the Tribunal

ER 3.3 bars knowingly false statements of fact or law and requires correcting prior false statements; the duty continues through the conclusion of the proceeding.

Communication With Represented Person

ER 4.2 forbids contacting a person the lawyer knows is represented about the subject of the representation without consent of that person's counsel or legal authorization.

Safekeeping Client Property

Under ER 1.15, client funds go in trust accounts, must be kept separate from lawyer funds, and require prompt notice and delivery of funds the client is entitled to receive.

Annual CLE Hour Requirement

Arizona lawyers must complete 15 CLE credit hours each compliance year, including at least 3 ethics hours, reported to the State Bar by September 15.

Specialty CLE Mandates

Within the 15 required hours, at least 1 hour must address competence issues such as mental health and substance abuse, and at least 1 hour must address bias elimination.

CLE Reporting Period

The compliance year runs July 1 through June 30; completed hours are reported annually by September 15 for the preceding reporting period.

No Carryover of CLE Hours

Arizona does not allow excess CLE credits from one compliance year to count toward the next; all hours must be earned within the applicable reporting period.

New Lawyer Orientation

Within the first year after admission, new lawyers must complete the Arizona New Lawyer Orientation and a professionalism course approved by the Supreme Court.

CLE Extension Request

A lawyer with good cause may seek additional time to complete CLE, but the request must be filed with the State Bar before the September 15 reporting deadline.

CLE Credit Hour Calculation

Approved instruction generally earns one credit per 60 minutes; self-study and on-demand formats are capped and require prior approval by the State Bar.

Consequence of Noncompliance

Failure to meet CLE requirements can result in suspension of the license until hours and fees are satisfied, with reinstatement governed by Supreme Court rule.

Presiding Disciplinary Judge

Formal disciplinary complaints are filed with the Presiding Disciplinary Judge of the Arizona Supreme Court, who conducts hearings and imposes sanctions.

Disciplinary Sanction Range

Sanctions include reprimand, probation, suspension, and disbarment; proportionality is assessed using the ABA Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions.

Self-Reporting Obligation

A lawyer must notify the State Bar of a criminal conviction or discipline imposed by another jurisdiction within the period set by rule.

Trust Account Misappropriation

Commingling or misappropriating client trust funds is among the most serious ethical violations and generally supports suspension or disbarment rather than a lesser sanction.

Reinstatement After Disbarment

A disbarred lawyer in Arizona generally may not petition for reinstatement until at least five years have passed, and must prove rehabilitation and fitness.

Interim Suspension

The State Bar may seek immediate suspension of a lawyer who poses a substantial threat of harm to clients or the public while formal disciplinary proceedings continue.

Reciprocal Discipline

When another jurisdiction disciplines an Arizona lawyer, Arizona may impose comparable discipline without relitigating the underlying misconduct, subject to limited review.