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Character and Fitness General Information

Rules of Admission

Arizona Supreme Court Rules of Admission to Practice Law can be found here.

Arizona Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness Guidelines can be found here.

Checklist

Checklist for Character and Fitness Application can be found here.

Fees

Administrative Order regarding fees can be found here.

Timing

There is no precise time period for processing any file, as every applicant's background is unique. The initial investigation will take a minimum of four months, followed by file assessment by members of the Committee.

The Committee on Character and Fitness is required by Supreme Court Rule to assess your diligence. You must complete the research necessary to answer each question. Failure to strictly comply with the requirements of the application will reflect negatively upon you, and will result in substantial delay to, or potential denial of, your admission to the practice of law.

During the investigation, you may be asked to provide additional information or clarification. Failure to respond within 30 days may significantly delay the investigation and could result in the abandonment of your application.

The investigation is open and ongoing until at least such time that you are successful on the Bar Examination. No status will be provided prior to that date, and then only if the Committee has been afforded the time required to complete the initial investigation.

Under Ariz. Sup. Ct. Rule 37(a)(1), you must take the oath of admission and be admitted to the practice of law within five years of the date your Bar Exam score was earned. This means that your background investigation must be completed, you must be recommended for admission, and you must take the oath of admission before your Bar Exam score expires.  If you have not submitted your application at least six months before your score expiration date, you may not be eligible for admission, and no refund will be issued in accordance with the admission rules. If you wish to petition the Court for an extension of the time which you must be admitted, you will need to file the petition with the Clerk of the Supreme Court and serve a copy on the Committee on Character and Fitness.

Arizona Law Course & MPRE:

An investigation is open and ongoing until at least such time that applicant completes the required Course on Arizona Law and submits proof of a passing score on the MPRE as established in this jurisdiction. The passing MPRE score must be earned within eight years of the date of application or within the time frame for taking the oath of admission after the successful bar examination. Both are required before the Committee on Character and Fitness can make a final determination regarding admission.

• MPRE - Contact NCBE for registration or score transfer at http://www.ncbex.org
• Arizona Law Course -  Arizona Law Course Online Registration (azcourts.gov)

References Note: 

Please provide e-mail addresses for your references and notify them they should expect an e-mail from noreply@azbaradmissions.org for reference verification. Failure to provide email addresses or providing incorrect email addresses will delay the time it takes to process applications.