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Read the Arizona Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness Guidelines

Refer to the Uniform Bar Examination Transfer Certification Application Checklist and gather all information prior to completing your online application. The application must be complete at the time of submission. A status update will be provided once the initial processing is complete.

Read all the following instructions carefully before proceeding.

Disclosure:

The Committee expects you to spend the time necessary to provide accurate and complete answers. You are required to swear/affirm before a notary public that this document is true and complete in all respects, and you will be held in strict compliance with the declaration.

The Committee 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.

In accordance with the Rules of Professional Conduct, an applicant for admission shall not (a) knowingly make a false statement of material fact; or (b) fail to disclose a fact necessary to correct a misapprehension known by the person to have arisen in the matter, or knowingly fail to respond to a lawful demand for information from an admissions or disciplinary authority.

Pursuant to Ariz. R. Sup. Ct. 37(d)(2), applicants for admission based on transfer of uniform bar examination score shall not receive a refund of the application fee for any reason, including denial of admission, withdrawal of the application, or failure to pursue admission after application, regardless of the date the applicant notifies the Committee. Credit for the fees paid by an applicant who withdraws or fails to pursue admission after application will be applied to any application made by the applicant for two (2) years from the date of the original application.

Course on Arizona Law and Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination: An investigation is considered to be 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 is able to make a final determination regarding admission.

Pursuant to Ariz. Sup. Ct. Rule 37(a)(1), an applicant must take the oath of admission and be admitted to practice of law within five years prior to the date when the UBE Score was earned. This means your background investigation must be completed before the date of your exam. If you have not submitted your application at least 6 months prior to your score expiration date, you may not be eligible for admission and no refund is permissible in accordance with the admission rules.  If you wish to motion the Court for an extension of the time by which you must be admitted, you will need to file the motion with the Clerk of the Supreme Court and serve a copy on the Committee on Character and Fitness.

The Committee participates in the National Conference of Bar Examiners' national databank which cross-checks applicants to determine if they have filed applications in other jurisdictions.

The Committee independently obtains and reviews credit reports concerning all applicants.

The provision of your social security number is voluntary, pursuant to the Federal Privacy Act of 1974. However, provision of your social security number assists in expediting the character review process. Your social security number will be used for purposes of investigation and verification, to avoid errors of identity which might cause issues and delays in the certification and licensure process. You must notify us in writing, received within five business days of your electronic submission, if you wish to restrict the use of your social security number.

Documentation Requirements:

The following information must be provided to Attorney Admissions in order to complete timely processing of your application. Within the online application you will be instructed to upload documents. Do so using the Upload Documents section on your user account.

• Notarized and signed Declaration
• Notarized and signed Authorization and Release
• An official UBE score transcript from NCBE showing a minimum score of 273 prior to the July 2023 test administration or 270 for the July 2023 test administration or subsequent administrations earned within five years prior to the taking the oath of admission and being admitted to the practice of law in Arizona. An applicant who failed to earn the minimum acceptable score within 6 attempts, regardless of where the uniform bar examination was taken, shall not be eligible for UBE score transfer and must test in Arizona. Instructions for submitting a request for an official UBE transcript can be found on the UBE Score Transcript Services page on NCBE's website.
• Evidence of a minimum score of 85 on the MPRE taken within 8 years before the successful bar examination or within the time frame for taking the oath of admission.
• Certificate(s) of Good Standing if previously admitted to practice law in any jurisdiction, foreign or domestic, a certificate of the appropriate court agency or the mandatory bar association, whichever has custody of the role of attorneys in that jurisdiction. The certificate must indicate the date of admission, and that the applicant is presently in good standing, or the applicant resigned in good standing in that jurisdiction. The certificate must be dated no earlier than 60 days prior to application.
• Disciplinary history if previously admitted to practice law in any jurisdiction, foreign or domestic. The disciplinary history must be dated no earlier than 60 days prior to application, indicate disciplinary history in the jurisdiction and list grievances filed and disposition, if any. Note: Applicants currently subject to lawyer discipline or the subject of a pending disciplinary matter in any jurisdiction are not eligible for admission by transfer of uniform bar examination score. Ariz. R. Sup. Ct. 34(h)(1)(E).
• Documentation proving lawful status (photocopy of driver's license, passport, etc.) or immigration status.
• Arizona Law Class. For registration information on how to fulfill this requirement, please go to the following link where you will find information allowing you to view video modules from your computer in any location. Your completion of all online modules and an evaluation triggers internal notification of completion to our staff. You are not required to upload or submit a certificate of completion. Register at Arizona Law Course Online Registration (azcourts.gov).
• Evidence of graduation with a Juris Doctor from an ABA approved law school.
• Certified driving history from every state in which a driver's license has been held for the past ten years to current, for the longest period of time offered by the jurisdiction and cannot be an uncertified copy from a third-party vendor.
• Photo - A full color passport quality photo of you only; head, neck and shoulders, no hat, hoodie or other item obstructing your head or face. Please review the Arizona Photo Upload Requirements in the FAQs.
• Completed fingerprint card – THIS IS THE ONLY DOUCMENT TO BE MAILED TO OUR OFFICE. The standard FBI blue and white fingerprint card, on heavy stock, is available from Attorney Admissions by emailing a request to attorneyadmissions@courts.az.gov. Please put “Fingerprint Car Request” in the subject line of your email. Live-scan or ink prints must be affixed to the card. The completed fingerprint card must be mailed so that it arrives within 5 days of your application submission to ensure timely processing. Do not mail the completed fingerprint card until you have submitted and paid for your bar admissions application. Be sure to include your mailing address within your request.

• Mail completed fingerprint card to:
• Arizona Supreme Court
• Attorney Admissions
• 1501 W Washington St, Suite 104
• Phoenix, AZ 85007

Additional Information Requests and Updates:

During the investigation, you may be asked for additional information or clarification. If this is necessary, the investigation may be significantly prolonged. If you do not respond within thirty days, the investigation will be abandoned until your written response is received.

All documents must be uploaded to your online application at the time of filing. Any additional documents needed will be uploaded as additional documentation. Documents received on behalf of individuals who have no pending application will be returned.

Timing:

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

Avoid Common Errors:

Failure to heed the instructions and exact requirements will result in delays in the investigation.

1. Read every question thoroughly and answer it completely.
2. Provide complete and current addresses for all individuals and entities listed.
3. Where required by the question, provide information in chronological order by start date.
4. Personal and legal references may not be listed in any other part of your application.
5. Provide all documents required by the application. If an official agency (for example law enforcement, court, regulatory board, etc.) advises you that the required documents are not available, you must obtain an official written notice from them that specifically states the documents are unavailable and the reason(s) why (for example, the documents are purged after a given number of years).
6. Do not submit an application that is incomplete in any respect and expect to amend it at a later date. The application must be complete at the time of submission.

If there are matters pending at the time you submit your application (for example, a civil matter), you may submit the application and provide updates as they occur.

Tips:

Employment history: If you require assistance to reconstruct your employment history, you may contact the Social Security Administration (telephone 800-772-1213; website ssa.gov) for a report of your earnings history. You may then contact employers listed for the information required.

Previous employer is out of business: You must provide a verifying reference who can affirm that employment.

Self-employment: You must provide a verifying reference who can affirm that employment.

Traffic Citations: Not all traffic citations will appear on your driving record(s). It is your responsibility to contact local or regional law enforcement to obtain information about citations.

References: Select personal and legal references that are willing to provide information to the Committee, and will do so in a timely manner.