Rule 14-704 - Qualifications for admission of attorney applicants(a) Requirements of Attorney Applicants. The burden of proof is on the Applicant to establish by clear and convincing evidence that she or he: (a)(1) has paid the prescribed fees and filed the required Complete Application as an Attorney Applicant in accordance with Rule 14-707; (a)(2) is at least 21 years old; (a)(3) has graduated with a First Professional Degree in law from an Approved Law School; (a)(4) has been admitted to the practice of law before the highest court of a U.S. state, territory, or the District of Columbia; (a)(5) is of good moral character and satisfies the requirements of Rule 14-708; (a)(6) has successfully passed the MPRE and the Bar Examination; (a)(7) is a member in good standing in all jurisdictions where currently admitted; (a)(8) has a proven record of ethical, civil and professional behavior and has never been disbarred or resigned with discipline pending, or their equivalent, in any jurisdiction and is not currently subject to lawyer discipline or the subject of a pending disciplinary matter; and (a)(9) complies with the provisions of Rule 14-716 concerning licensing and enrollment fees. (b) Only persons who are active, licensed members of the Bar in good standing may engage in the practice of law in Utah. However, an Attorney Applicant with a pending Bar application may be eligible to practice for a limited period upon satisfaction of all of the requirements of Rule 14-809 and receipt of a Practice Pending Admission Certificate.(c) Attorney Applicants from Unapproved Law Schools. An Applicant who does not meet the educational qualifications in Rule 14-704(a)(3) is qualified provided the Applicant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that she or he: (c)(1) complies with the requirements in (a)(1) and (a)(2) and (a)(4) through (a)(9); (c)(2) has graduated with a First Professional Degree in law from an Unapproved Law School located within a U.S. state, territory or the District of Columbia; (c)(3) has been admitted to the practice of law before the highest court of a U.S state, territory or the District of Columbia for no fewer than ten years, and has been Actively and lawfully engaged in the Full-time Practice of Law in one or more jurisdictions where licensed for any ten of the eleven years immediately preceding the filing of the application. (d) Attorney Applicants from Foreign Law Schools. The burden of proof is on the Applicant to establish by clear and convincing evidence that she or he: (d)(1) graduated from a Foreign Law School in a country where principles of English common law form the predominant basis for that country's system of jurisprudence; (d)(2) complies with the requirements in (a)(1), (a)(2) and (a)(5) through (a)(9); (d)(3) has been admitted to practice law in an English common law jurisdiction; (c)(4) has been Actively and lawfully engaged in the Full-time Practice of Law in an English common law jurisdiction for no fewer than two (2) years; (d)(5) has completed with a minimum grade of "C" or its passing equivalent no less than 24 semester hours, or a corresponding amount in quarter hours, at an Approved Law School, within 24 consecutive months. The 24 semester hours must include no less than one course each in a core or survey course of constitutional law, civil procedure, criminal procedure or criminal law, legal ethics and evidence; (d)(6) is of good moral character and satisfies the requirements of Rule 14-708; (d)(7) has successfully passed the MPRE and the Bar Examination; and (d)(8) complies with the provisions of Rule 14-716 concerning licensing and enrollment fees.(e) Foreign Attorneys not meeting the requirements of paragraph (c). Attorneys not meeting the requirements of paragraph (c) may be eligible for admission only if they meet the requirements of paragraph (a).Utah. Sup. Ct. R. Prof. Prac. 14-704
Amended effective 6/13/2012; 5/1/2016; amended effective 5/1/2018.