Section 2-13.Attorneys of Other Jurisdictions; Qualifications and Requirements for Admission

Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026

In one sentenceSets out how an attorney already licensed and practicing in another U.S. state, territory, or the District of Columbia can be admitted to the Connecticut bar without taking the bar exam, based on reciprocity and years of practice.

Full Text of Section 2-13

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(a) Any member of the bar of another state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia, who, after satisfying the bar examining committee that his or her educational qualifications are such as would entitle him or her to take the examination in Connecticut, and that (i) at least one jurisdiction in which he or she is a member of the bar is reciprocal to Connecticut in that it would admit a member of the bar of Connecticut to its bar without examination under provisions similar to those set out in this section or (ii) he or she is a full-time faculty member or full-time clinical fellow at an accredited Connecticut law school and admitted in a reciprocal or nonreciprocal jurisdiction, shall satisfy the committee that he or she:

(1) is of good moral character, is fit to practice law, and has either passed an examination in professional responsibility or has completed a course in professional responsibility in accordance with the regulations of the committee;

(2) has been duly licensed to practice law before the highest court of a reciprocal state or territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia if reciprocal to Connecticut, or that he or she is a full-time faculty member or full-time clinical fellow at an accredited Connecticut law school and admitted in a reciprocal or nonreciprocal jurisdiction and (A) has lawfully engaged in the practice of law as the applicant’s principal means of livelihood for at least five of the ten years immediately preceding the date of the application and is in good standing, or (B) if the applicant has taken the bar examinations of Connecticut and failed to pass them, the applicant has lawfully engaged in the practice of law as his or her principal means of livelihood for at least five of the ten years immediately preceding the date of the application and is in good standing, provided that such five years of practice shall have occurred subsequent to the applicant’s last failed Connecticut examination; and

(3) is a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully residing in the United States, which shall include an individual authorized to work lawfully in the United States, may be admitted as an attorney without examination upon application and the payment of such fee as the committee shall from time to time determine, upon compliance with the following requirements. Such application shall be filed with the director of the committee and shall set forth the applicant’s qualifications as hereinbefore provided, and shall certify whether such applicant has a grievance pending against him or her, has ever been reprimanded, suspended, placed on inactive status, disbarred, or has ever resigned from the practice of law and, if so, setting forth the circumstances concerning such action. The following recommendations shall be filed by the person making the recommendation:

(A) recommendations from two attorneys who personally know the applicant certifying to his or her good moral character and fitness to practice law and supporting, to the satisfaction of the committee, his or her practice of law as defined under subdivision (2) of this subsection; and

(B) recommendations from two members of the bar of Connecticut of at least five years’ standing, certifying that the applicant is of good moral character and is fit to practice law.

(b) For the purpose of this rule, the ‘‘practice of law’’ shall include the following activities, if performed after the date of the applicant’s admission to the jurisdiction in which the activities were performed, or if performed in a jurisdiction that permits such activity by a lawyer not admitted to practice:

(1) representation of one or more clients in the practice of law;

(2) service as a lawyer with a state, federal, or territorial agency, including military services;

(3) teaching law at an accredited law school, including supervision of law students within a clinical program;

(4) service as a judge in a state, federal, or territorial court of record;

(5) service as a judicial law clerk;

(6) service as authorized house counsel;

(7) service as authorized house counsel in Connecticut before July 1, 2008, or while certified pursuant to Section 2-15A; or

(8) any combination of the above.

End

Amendment History

(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 21.) (Amended June 28, 1999, to take effect Jan. 1, 2000; amended June 22, 2009, to take effect Jan. 1, 2010; amended June 21, 2010, to take effect Jan. 1, 2011; amended June 20, 2011, to take effect Jan. 1, 2012; amended June 15, 2012, to take effect Sept. 1, 2012; amended June 13, 2014, to take effect Jan. 1, 2015; amended June 15, 2018, to take effect July 3, 2018; amended June 26, 2020, to take effect Jan. 1, 2021; amended June 10, 2022, to take effect Jan. 1, 2023; amended June 9, 2023, to take effect Jan. 1, 2024.)

Plain-English Summary

This rule lets a lawyer who is a member of the bar in another state, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia skip the Connecticut bar exam under certain conditions. The applicant must first satisfy the bar examining committee that their legal education would qualify them to sit for the Connecticut exam. Then, either at least one jurisdiction where they're already admitted must be reciprocal to Connecticut — meaning it would admit a Connecticut lawyer without an exam too — or the applicant must be a full-time faculty member or clinical fellow at an accredited Connecticut law school.

Beyond that, the applicant must show good moral character and fitness to practice, and must have passed an exam or completed a course in professional responsibility. They must have practiced law as their principal livelihood for at least five of the preceding ten years and remain in good standing. An applicant who previously failed the Connecticut bar exam can still qualify this way, as long as the five years of qualifying practice happened after that failed attempt. Applicants must also be a U.S. citizen or lawfully residing alien authorized to work in the United States.

The application goes to the director of the bar examining committee and must disclose any pending grievances, reprimands, suspensions, or resignations from practice. It needs recommendations from two attorneys who personally know the applicant and can vouch for their practice history, plus two recommendations from Connecticut bar members of at least five years’ standing. The rule also defines “practice of law” broadly to include representing clients, government or military legal work, teaching law, serving as a judge or law clerk, and serving as authorized house counsel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an out-of-state attorney skip the Connecticut bar exam?

Yes, if the attorney meets the reciprocity and practice requirements of Section 2-13, or is a full-time faculty member or clinical fellow at a Connecticut law school, they can be admitted without taking the exam.

How much practice experience does Section 2-13 require?

The applicant must have practiced law as their principal means of livelihood for at least five of the ten years immediately preceding the application and remain in good standing.

What if I already failed the Connecticut bar exam?

You can still qualify under this section if you have five years of qualifying practice that occurred after your last failed Connecticut exam.

What counts as "practice of law" for purposes of this rule?

The rule counts client representation, government or military legal work, law teaching, judicial service, judicial clerking, and service as authorized house counsel, among other activities.

Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 2-13). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: Connecticut reciprocity bar admissionadmission without examination Connecticutout-of-state attorney license CTwaiving in to Connecticut bar