An applicant for admission to the Connecticut Bar should be a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully residing in the United States. S/he should not be less than eighteen years of age.  The applicant must meet the educational requirements as may be set, from time to time, by the Bar Examining Committee.  In addition, the applicant should also pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam with a scaled score of 80.  This exam must be taken within four years of sitting for the Bar exam.  Alternatively, an applicant can substitute this exam with a C grade in an ethics course.

Attorneys from other states should pass an exam or course on professional responsibility administered by the bar examining committee.  S/he should be licensed to practice in a reciprocal state or territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia.  Such person should have been in the practice of law for at least five of the seven years preceding the application to the Connecticut Bar and should be in good standing.  If the applicant has ever failed the Connecticut Bar exam, s/he should have practiced for at least five of the seven years immediately preceding the date of the application and be in good standing, provided that such five years of practice shall have occurred subsequent to the applicant’s last failed Connecticut Bar exam.  The applicant should show an intention to practice law in Connecticut.

The Superior Court is responsible for admission of attorneys in to the Connecticut Bar.  The Judges of the Superior Court may establish rules regarding admission, qualifications, practice and removal of attorneys.

Conn. Practice Book § 2-13

“Any member of the bar of another state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia, who, after satisfying the state bar examining committee that his or her educational qualifications are such as would entitle him or her to take the examination in Connecticut or would have entitled him or her to take the examination in Connecticut at the time of his or her admission to the bar of which he or she is a member, and that at least one jurisdiction in which he or she is a member of the bar is reciprocal to Connecticut in that it would admit a member of the bar of Connecticut to its bar without examination under provisions similar to those set out in this section, shall satisfy the appropriate standing committee on recommendations for admission that he or she (1) is of good moral character and has either passed an examination in professional responsibility administered under the auspices of the bar examining committee or has completed a course in professional responsibility in accordance with the regulations of the bar examining committee; (2) has been duly licensed to practice law before the highest court of a reciprocal state or territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia if reciprocal to Connecticut and (A) has lawfully engaged in the practice of law as the applicant’s principal means of livelihood in such reciprocal jurisdiction for at least five of the seven years immediately preceding the date of the application and is in good standing, or (B) if the applicant has taken the bar examinations of Connecticut and failed to pass them, the applicant has lawfully engaged in the practice of law as his or her principal means of livelihood in such reciprocal jurisdiction for at least five of the seven years immediately preceding the date of the application and is in good standing, provided that such five years of practice shall have occurred subsequent to the applicant’s last failed Connecticut examination; (3) is a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully residing in the United States; (4) intends, upon a continuing basis, to practice law actively in Connecticut and to devote the major portion of his or her working time to the practice of law in Connecticut, may be admitted by the court as an attorney without examination upon written application and the payment of such fee as the examining committee shall from time to time determine, upon compliance with the following requirements: Such application, duly verified, shall be filed with the administrative director of the bar examining committee and shall set forth his or her qualifications as hereinbefore provided….”

Conn. Practice Book § 2-8

To entitle an applicant to admission to the bar, except under Sections 2-13 through 2-15 of these rules, the applicant must satisfy the committee that:

(1) The applicant is a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully residing in the United States.

(2) The applicant is not less than eighteen years of age.

(3) The applicant is a person of good moral character and has either passed an examination in professional responsibility administered under the auspices of the bar examining committee or has completed a course in professional responsibility in accordance with the regulations of the bar examining committee.

(4) The applicant has met the educational requirements as may be set, from time to time, by the bar examining committee.

(5) The applicant has filed with the administrative director of the bar examining committee an application to take the examination and for admission to the bar, all in accordance with these rules and the regulations of the committee, and has paid such application fee as the committee shall from time to time determine.

(6) The applicant has passed an examination in law in accordance with the regulations of the committee.

(7) The applicant has complied with all of the pertinent rules and regulations of the committee.

(8) As an alternative to satisfying the committee that the applicant has met the committee’s educational requirements, the applicant who meets all the remaining requirements of this section may, upon payment of such investigation fee as the committee shall from time to time determine, substitute proof satisfactory to the committee that: (A) the applicant has been admitted to practice before the highest court of original jurisdiction in one or more states, the District of Columbia or the commonwealth of Puerto Rico or in one or more district courts of the United States for ten or more years and at the time of filing the application is a member in good standing of such a bar; (B) the applicant has actually practiced law in such a jurisdiction for not less than five years during the seven-year period immediately preceding the filing date of the application; and (C) the applicant intends, upon a continuing basis, actively to practice law in Connecticut and to devote the major portion of the applicant’s working time to the practice of the law in Connecticut.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-80

The Superior Court may admit and cause to be sworn as attorneys such persons as are qualified therefore, in accordance with the rules established by the judges of the Superior Court. The judges of the Superior Court may establish rules relative to the admission, qualifications, practice and removal of attorneys.