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New Jersey Admission Laws

The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the admitting body for admissions to the state Bar.  An applicant for admission to the New Jersey Bar should be more than 18 years of age.  The applicant should have a juris doctor degree or its equivalent from an American Bar Association approved law school. In addition, the applicant should present satisfactory evidence of his/her good standing in Bars of other jurisdiction which has ever admitted the applicant to practice.

An applicant who has been engaged full time in the teaching of law at an approved law school in New Jersey for 5 years immediately preceding his/her application may be admitted as an attorney of this State, without examination or completion of a skills and methods course.  Such applicants should have been admitted, after examination, as an attorney of another state whose educational qualifications for admission to the Bar are equal to those of New Jersey.

No person shall be admitted to New Jersey Bar without passing the state’s Bar exam.  The Bar examination consists of the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) and the New Jersey Essay Examination.  Additionally, the applicants should also pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), prior to admission, with a scaled score of 75.

It is mandatory for all newly admitted attorneys to successfully complete a skills and methods course that has been approved by the Supreme Court.

N.J. Court Rules, R. 1:24-2

Qualification for admission to examination
No person shall be admitted to the bar examination without first presenting to the Board, in the manner prescribed by its rules:
(a) Satisfactory evidence that the applicant is more than 18 years of age;
(b) Certification by a duly authorized officer of the applicant’s law school that it is approved by the American Bar Association and that it has awarded the applicant a Juris Doctor degree or its equivalent.
(c) Satisfactory evidence that the applicant is a member of the bar in good standing in every other jurisdiction which has ever admitted the applicant to practice.

N.J. Court Rules, R. 1:27-1

Plenary admission
(a) Qualification for Licensure. No person shall be admitted to the bar of this State unless the following shall first have successfully occurred in a manner prescribed by the rules of the Board of Bar Examiners:
(1) Passage of the bar examination;
(2) Certification of good character by the Committee on Character pursuant to R. 1:25 and the regulations of that body; and
(3) Attainment of a qualifying score on the Multi-State Professional Responsibility Examination or passage of an approved course on professional ethics given by an American Bar Association-accredited law school.
N.J. Court Rules, R. 1:27-3

Admission of law school teachers
An applicant for admission who has been engaged full time in the teaching of law at an approved law school in the State for 5 years immediately preceding the application may be admitted as an attorney of this State, without examination or completion of a skills and methods course, provided the applicant has been admitted, after examination, as an attorney of another state whose educational qualifications for admission to the bar are equal to those of this State. In determining the 5 year period the Supreme Court may grant credit for time spent on leave of absence from such law school. The application shall be made to the Board of Bar Examiners, in accordance with its rules, and the Board shall expeditiously investigate the application and file its report and recommendations thereon to the Supreme Court for appropriate action by it.

N.J. Court Rules, R. 1:26

Skills and methods course

All newly admitted attorneys shall successfully complete a skills and methods course that has been approved by the Supreme Court. The course format shall be set forth in the rules of the Board of Bar Examiners.


Inside New Jersey Admission Laws