Admission to the Bar in the United States

In the United States, admission to the bar is permission granted by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction (e.g. territories under federal control) sets its own rules for bar admission, as a result of the separate sovereignty of the states and their respective court systems as guaranteed by the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. In practice, this leads to different standards among states as to how bar admission works. In general, a prospective lawyer will need to pass a state-administered bar exam after earning a Juris Doctor degree from a law school approved by the state in which he/she wants to practice. Typically, there is also a character and fitness evaluation, along with a background check. Because each state has its own bar, a lawyer who is admitted to practice in one state is not automatically allowed to practice in another. Some states have reciprocal agreements that allow attorneys from other states to practice without sitting for another full bar exam. These agreements differ significantly among the states.