Admission to practice of law in the state of Georgia is governed by the Rules on admission to the practice of law promulgated by the Supreme Court of Georgia.  To be admitted, an applicant has to be certified by the Board to Determine Fitness of Bar Applicants and must take and pass the Bar examination administered by the Board of Bar Examiners.  An applicant has to be first certified by the Board to Determine Fitness of Bar Applicants in order to get his/her Bar exam application accepted.

An applicant should have a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation (CORPA).  Applicants with degrees from non-qualifying U.S. or foreign institutions may qualify by passing the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).  Applicants should also hold a J.D. or LL.B from a law school approved by the American Bar Association or by the Georgia Board of Bar Examiners.

All applicants are required to take and pass the two-day Bar exam which consists of the essay examination, Multistate Performance Test (MPT), and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE).  MBE scores of other jurisdictions and previous exams are not transferable.  Additionally, applicants should also pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) with a scaled score of 75.

The Board of Bar Examiners may admit any attorney on motion without examination if s/he has been licensed in a United States jurisdiction that admits Georgia attorneys without examination.  S/he should meet the educational eligibility requirements for the regular applicants.  S/he should have been primarily engaged in the active practice of law for five of the seven years immediately preceding the date upon which application is filed in Georgia.  S/he should have never taken and failed the Georgia Bar Examination and should have been in good professional standing in every jurisdiction that s/he has practiced.

Every active member of the Georgia Bar is required to complete a minimum of twelve (12) hours of actual instruction in an approved continuing legal education activity in a year.  At least one hour out of the twelve (12) hours should be on ethics.

Ga. R. Gov’g Admis. Prac. Law Note

In order to be eligible, an applicant must have:
1. Been awarded a bachelor’s degree by a college or university accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation (CORPA). Most American colleges are so accredited. Persons who have degrees from non-qualifying U.S. or foreign institutions may qualify by achieving passing scores on certain of the CLEP General Examinations;
2. Been awarded a JD or LLB by a law school approved by the American Bar Association or by the Georgia Board of Bar Examiners;
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4. Received certification of fitness to practice law. A person who receives temporary certification may take the examination, but his or her results will not be released until he or she has received regular certification of fitness;
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6. Taken and passed (except for those who are eligible for the Attorneys’ Examination) the entire two-day bar examination which consists of three parts, the essay examination and a performance test given on the first day and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) given on the following day. There is no bifurcation of the examination. Georgia does not accept MBE score transfers from earlier examinations or from other jurisdictions;
7. Taken and achieved a scaled score of 75 on the (MPRE) Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (including those who are eligible for the Attorneys’ Examination)

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Ga. R. Gov’g Admis. Prac. Law C § 2

Section 2. Eligibility.
In order to petition the Board of Bar Examiners to be admitted without examination, an attorney licensed in a state other than Georgia must meet the following eligibility criteria. The attorney:
(a) Must meet the educational eligibility requirements established in Part B, Section 4 of these Rules, including holding a first professional degree in law (JD or LL.B) from a law school approved by the American Bar Association at the time the graduate matriculated;
(b) Has been admitted by examination to membership in the bar of the highest court of another United States jurisdiction which has comity for bar admissions purposes with the State of Georgia;
(c) Has never been denied certification of fitness to practice law in Georgia or any other state;
(d) Has never taken and failed the Georgia Bar Examination or the Georgia Attorneys’ Examination;
(e) Has been primarily engaged in the active practice of law for five of the seven years immediately preceding the date upon which the application is filed;
(f) Has at all times been in good professional standing in every jurisdiction in which the applicant has been licensed to practice law;
(g) Has received Certification of Fitness to Practice Law in Georgia from the Board to Determine Fitness of Bar Applicants.

Ga. R. & Regs. St. Bar Rule 8-104

Rule 8-104. Education Requirements and Exemptions.
(A) Minimum Continuing Legal Education Requirement. Each active member shall complete a minimum of twelve (12) hours of actual instruction in an approved continuing legal education activity during each year. If a member completes more than twelve (12) hours in a year, the excess credit may be carried forward and applied to the education requirement for the succeeding year only.

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(2) Each active member, except those participating in the Georgia Transition Into Law Practice Program, shall complete a minimum of one (1) hour of continuing legal education during each year in the area of ethics. This hour is to be included in, and not in addition to, the twelve-hour (12) requirement. If a member completes more than one (1) hour in ethics during the calendar year, the excess ethics credit may be carried forward up to a maximum of two (2) hours and applied to the ethics requirement for succeeding years.