NYS BOARD OF LAW EXAMINERS CORPORATE PLAZA, BUILDING 3 254 WASHINGTON AVENUE EXTENSION ALBANY, NY 12203-5195 (518) 453-5990 FAX (518) 452-5729 ADMISSION ON MOTION/RECIPROCITY New York permits admission on motion without examination for applicants who have practiced for five of the preceding seven years, are admitted to practice in at least one reciprocal jurisdiction, and who attended and graduated with a first degree in law from a law school that was approved by the American Bar Association at all times during the period of applicant's attendance. Before you apply for admission on motion you should carefully review the eligibility requirements to determine if you currently satisfy all of the requirements for admission on motion. The requirements for admission on motion on set forth in Judiciary Law 90 [i][b] and Section 520.10 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals [22 NYCRR 520.10]. If you believe that you meet the eligibility requirements for admission on motion you will be required to apply to the State Board of Law Examiners for a Certificate of Educational Compliance. The fee for such certification is $400. The role of the State Board of Law Examiners in the admission on motion process is limited to the collection of the $400 application fee and certification that the applicant possesses the educational requirements set forth in subdivisions (a)(3) and (b)(3) of Section 520.10 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals. To apply for a Certificate of Educational Compliance with 520.10(a)(3), the applicant must complete the attached Application for a Certificate of Educational Compliance with Section 520.10(a)(3) and mail it to the Board office together with the required fee of $400 in the form of a certified check, bank check, or money order. Personal checks are not accepted. The applicant must also request their law school to complete and mail, directly to the Board, the attached Law School Certificate of Graduation and ABA- Approval. Upon the Board's receipt of the Application for a Certificate of Educational Compliance, the $400 application fee, and the Law School Certificate of Graduation and ABA-Approval confirming compliance with the educational requirements in Rule 520.10, the Board will issue the applicant a Certificate of Educational Compliance with Rule 520.10(a)(3). A copy of the certificate will also be sent to the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in the Judicial Department as shown by the applicant's residence or employment address. Note that applicants who do not currently reside in or who are not currently employed full-time in New York State will be certified to the Third Judicial Department located in Albany. After the applicant has been certified by the Board as possessing the requisite educational qualifications for admission on motion the applicant must file the completed Application for Admission to the Bar with the Supreme Court, Appellate Division. The Application for Admission to the Bar and links to the four Appellate Divisions are accessible at http://www.nybarexam.org/admission/admission.htm.
Questions about the educational requirements should be directed to the Board at (518) 453-5990 but all other questions relating to the requirements in Rule 520.10 should be directed to the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in the Judicial Department in which you reside or are employed full-time or, if you are not a resident and are not employed in New York State, the Third Judicial Department. NOTICE TO MILITARY SPOUSES SEEKING ADMISSION TO THE NEW YORK BAR Attorneys who are spouses of active military service personnel assigned to New York and who would like to apply for admission to the New York bar without examination while their spouses are stationed in New York may seek from the Court of Appeals under Section 520.14 of the Rules of the Court a waiver of strict compliance with the prior practice requirements of Section 520.10. Military spouses are encouraged to contact the Executive Director for the Board of Law Examiners at (518) 453-5990 for more information about the waiver process.
ADMISSION ON MOTION Admission in a reciprocal jurisdiction is a prerequisite for admission on motion in New York State. A reciprocal jurisdiction is one which "would similarly admit an attorney or counselor-at-law admitted to practice in New York State to its bar without examination" (Judiciary Law '90[1][b]). As of October 26, 2016, the following are considered reciprocal jurisdictions: ALASKA MASSACHUSETTS OREGON ARIZONA MICHIGAN PENNSYLVANIA ARKANSAS MINNESOTA SOUTH DAKOTA COLORADO MISSISSIPPI TENNESSEE CONNECTICUT MISSOURI TEXAS DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA MONTANA UTAH GEORGIA NEBRASKA VERMONT IDAHO NEW HAMPSHIRE VIRGINIA ILLINOIS NEW JERSEY WASHINGTON INDIANA NEW MEXICO WEST VIRGINIA IOWA NORTH CAROLINA WISCONSIN KANSAS NORTH DAKOTA WYOMING KENTUCKY MAINE OHIO OKLAHOMA If you have any questions regarding the above list, you should contact the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in the Department to which you intend to apply.
If you have any questions about your eligibility for admission on motion, you should contact the Judicial Department in which you reside or, if you are not a New York State resident but are employed full-time in New York, the Department in which you are employed. If you neither reside nor work in New York, you should contact the Third Department. FIRST DEPARTMENT Committee on Character & Fitness Bronx First Judicial Department New York 41 Madison Ave., 26th Fl. New York, NY 10010 (646) 386-5893 SECOND DEPARTMENT Committee on Character & Fitness Dutchess Orange Richmond Second Judicial Department Kings Putnam Rockland Renaissance Plaza Nassau Queens Suffolk 335 Adams St., 24 th Floor Westchester Brooklyn, NY 11201 (718) 923-6360 THIRD DEPARTMENT Office of the Clerk Albany Franklin Saratoga Supreme Court, Appellate Div. Broome Fulton Schenectady Third Judicial Department Chemung Greene Schoharie P.O. Box 7350, Capitol Station Chenango Hamilton Schuyler Albany, NY 12224 Clinton Madison Sullivan (518) 471-4778 Columbia Montgomery Tioga Cortland Otsego Tompkins Delaware Rensselaer Ulster Essex St. Lawrence Warren Washington FOURTH DEPARTMENT Office of the Clerk Allegheny Jefferson Ontario Supreme Court, Appellate Div. Cattaraugus Lewis Orleans Fourth Judicial Department Cayuga Livingston Oswego 50 East Ave. Chautauqua Monroe Seneca Rochester, NY 14604 Erie Niagara Steuben (585) 530-3100 Genesee Oneida Wayne Herkimer Onondaga Wyoming Yates
TO: APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATIONAL COMPLIANCE WITH SEC. 520.10(a)(3) (Print or Type) NYS BOARD OF LAW EXAMINERS CORPORATE PLAZA BLDG. 3 254 WASHINGTON AVE. EXT. ALBANY, NEW YORK 12203 NAME RESIDENCE ADDRESS EMPLOYMENT ADDRESS SEND CORRESPONDENCE TO: RESIDENCE EMPLOYMENT LAW SCHOOL GRADUATION YEAR DID THE LAW SCHOOL THAT YOU ATTENDED HAVE ABA APPROVAL FOR ALL PERIODS/SEMESTERS OF YOUR ATTENDANCE? YES NO ADMITTED IN: STATE YEAR $400 CERTIFIED CHECK, BANK CHECK, FIRM CHECK OR MONEY ORDER (drawn on a U.S. bank, in U.S. dollars and including a routing number on the bottom of the check) PAYABLE TO NYS BOARD OF LAW EXAMINERS. NO PERSONAL CHECKS. ENCLOSED PREVIOUSLY SENT DATE SIGNATURE Form 1 (Rev. 6/18/14)
LAW SCHOOL CERTIFICATE OF GRADUATION AND ABA-APPROVAL TO: NYS BOARD OF LAW EXAMINERS CORPORATE PLAZA BLDG. 3 254 WASHINGTON AVE. EXT. ALBANY, NEW YORK 12203 NAME OF LAW SCHOOL ADDRESS OF LAW SCHOOL This is to certify that graduated with (Applicant) the degree of Juris Doctor from our law school on, and that our (Graduation Date) law school was approved by the American Bar Association at all times during the period of Applicant s attendance. Date Signature of Dean or other authorized official Print Name and Official Title (Seal) Form 2 (Rev. 6/18/14)