Rules on admission to the Wisconsin Bar are dealt under Supreme Court Rules, Chapter 40, on admission to the Bar. Pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 40.02, any applicant seeking admission to the Bar of this State should attain the age of majority under the law of this state. Required educational qualifications are set forth under Rule 40.03, where it is prescribed that an applicant, who possess a first professional degree in law from an American Bar Association approved law school in this state, is eligible for taking Bar admission exams. According to Rule 40.04, the Board of Bar Examiners (Board) shall administer an examination consisting of the Multistate Bar Examination developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, an essay examination developed by the Board and such other elements as the board may deem appropriate for the assessment of lawyer competence. Under Rule 40.05, an applicant has to prove that s/he was practicing law in any other jurisdiction of the United States for three years with the last five years prior to filing application for admission in this state. Wisconsin Bar admits, without exam, attorneys from those jurisdictions that permit Wisconsin attorneys based on the practice in Wisconsin. Under Supreme Court Rule 31.02, a lawyer should attend a minimum of 30 hours of approved continuing legal education during each reporting period. It is mandatory that the lawyer should attend a minimum of three out of the thirty hours on the subject of legal ethics and professional responsibility in every reporting period.
Wis. SCR 40.02
SCR 40.02 Qualifications generally.
A person who meets all of the following qualifications shall be admitted to practice law in this state by order of the supreme court:
(1) Has attained the age of majority under the law of this state.
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Wis. SCR 40.03
SCR 40.03 Legal competence requirement: Diploma privilege.
An applicant who has been awarded a first professional degree in law from a law school in this state that is fully, not provisionally, approved by the American bar association shall satisfy the legal competence requirement by presenting to the clerk certification of the board showing:
Wis. SCR 40.04
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(2) The board shall administer an examination consisting of the Multistate Bar Examination developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, an essay examination developed by the board and such other elements as the board may deem appropriate for the assessment of lawyer competence.
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Wis. SCR 40.05
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(b) Proof that the applicant has been primarily engaged in the active practice of law in the courts of the United States or another state or territory or the District of Columbia for 3 years within the last 5 years prior to filing application for admission.
(c) If any state, territory or the District of Columbia practice in which is proposed to satisfy the requirement of sub. (b) has, as of the date of the filing of the application, requirements for bar admission in that jurisdiction on the basis of practice in Wisconsin other than those set forth in subs. (a) and (b), proof that the applicant has satisfied those requirements of that state, territory or the District of Columbia.
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Wis. SCR 31.02
SCR 31.02 Attendance requirement.
(1) A lawyer shall attend a minimum of 30 hours of approved CLE during each reporting period.
(2) A lawyer shall attend a minimum of 3 of the 30 hours required under sub. (1) on the subject of legal ethics and professional responsibility in every reporting period.
