Legal Question in Civil Litigation in District of Columbia

Writer needs help

For the first time in twenty years, I miss having my disbarred attorney husband handy to ask some questions for the fiction I am writing. Any attorney who helps me will be in the acknowledgment section, if published! If a person graduates from George Washington University law school (or other in DC), where do they take the bar exam to be able to practice in the DC\VA\MD area?

Second, ex-husband referred to above said he was certified or approved to practice in the Supreme Court. How does an attorney get that approval?Is there any sort of induction ceremony?

Thank you, [email protected]


Asked on 5/14/04, 10:40 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

John Graves The Law Office of John H. Graves, PLLC

Re: Writer needs help

Having had a cousin who graduated from law school at Georgetown, I can tell you that many people who graduate and want to practice in D.C. take the bar in surrounding states. D.C. with its not-quite-a-state status has some strange law that complicates its bar examination. The up-side is that D.C. has the easiest bar in the country to gain admittance without taking the bar exam. They have a web site that explains the steps that must be taken to be admitted without exam.

The Supreme Court has a bar just like every federal district and circuit. If you are a member in good standing of a state bar you can gain admittance to the Supreme Court if an attorney already admitted makes the motion and you have the check ready for the fee. There are ceremonies in D.C. for admittees and out-of-state admittees sometimes have a ceremony at which a clerk of the Supreme Court will swear them in. The Supreme Court web site also details the steps required for admittance and, if memory serves, a schedule of admittance ceremonies.

Best of luck with your book.

JHG

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Answered on 5/14/04, 12:32 pm


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