General Admissions and Membership (D.C. Bar)
This section covers General Admissions and Membership (D.C. Bar): who may be licensed in the District of Columbia, how an application moves from the Committee on Admissions to the D.C. Court of Appeals, and what D.C. Bar membership status means. The exam tests the division of authority, the standard admission path, and the limited routes that let lawyers practice without full membership.
Authority and the two institutions
- Under D.C. App. R. 46, the D.C. Court of Appeals is the admitting court and has exclusive authority to license attorneys.
- The Committee on Admissions (COA) investigates applications, evaluates character and fitness, and recommends candidates to the court.
- The D.C. Bar is the integrated, mandatory bar association: it enrolls members, collects dues, and administers member services, but it does not grant licenses.
Standard admission path
- Applicants must satisfy character and fitness, education, and examination requirements.
- DC administers the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE); the passing score is 266.
- Standard examination applicants must also pass the MPRE with a score of at least 75.
- After the court admits the applicant and the oath is administered, the attorney enrolls in the D.C. Bar. Active members may practice and are subject to dues and CLE; inactive members retain membership but may not practice in DC.
Alternatives to the standard exam
- Experienced attorneys admitted in another U.S. jurisdiction may seek admission without examination (waiver) based on active practice, disciplinary history, and character.
- A qualifying UBE score from another jurisdiction may be transferred if it meets DC's cut score and timing rules.
- Out-of-state attorneys who are not members may seek pro hac vice admission for a particular case; that is not D.C. Bar membership.
Worked example
A lawyer licensed in Maryland for eight years, with no discipline, wants to open a DC office. She should first evaluate the admission-without-examination route. If she does not qualify, she can transfer a timely UBE score of 266 or higher or sit for the UBE. On the UBE-transfer route she must also satisfy the MPRE; on either route she must clear character and fitness. She cannot practice as a DC attorney until the court admits her and she enrolls.
Traps
- Do not say the D.C. Bar admits attorneys; the court does.
- Do not treat a UBE score as the only requirement; the MPRE and character review remain.
- Do not assume pro hac vice or limited government practice equals membership.
- Do not overlook candor on the character application; omissions can delay or defeat admission.