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Lawyers and Lawsuits

Becoming a Lawyer

LegalSpeak: Ohio Supreme Court Governing Bar Rule 1. Admission to the Practice of Law

Section 1. General Requirements.

To be admitted to the practice of law in Ohio, an applicant shall satisfy all of the following requirements:

  • (A) Be at least twenty-one years of age;

  • (B) Have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in accordance with any of the following:

    • (1) Prior to admission to law school;

    • (2) Subsequent to admission to law school, through completion of courses and credits other than those received in law school, if the applicant has made a record of academic achievement that is satisfactory to the Court and receives Court approval;

    • (3) From participation in a joint bachelor’s/law degree program that has been reviewed and approved by the Court, requires at least seven years of full-time study, and results in the award of both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree;

  • (C) Have earned a J.D. or an L.L.B. degree from a law school that was approved by the American Bar Association at the time the degree was earned or, if not located in the United States, from a law school evaluated and approved in accordance with Section 2(C) or Section 9(C)(13) of this rule; to the practice of law and have been approved as to character, fitness, and moral qualifications under procedures provided in this rule; …

  • (D) Prior to taking the Ohio bar examination or being admitted without examination pursuant to Section 9 of this rule, have demonstrated that the applicant possesses the requisite character, fitness, and moral qualifications for admission;

  • (E) Have passed both the Ohio bar examination and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, or have been approved for admission without examination pursuant to Section 9 of this rule;

  • (F) Have taken the oath of office pursuant to Section 8(A) of this rule….