Bar Admissions


ATTENTION

         The Supreme Court of Georgia has determined that the Office of Bar Admissions shall require a fingerprint background check on any applicant applying to sit for the Georgia Bar Examination, effective immediately, due to the availability of the Georgia Applicant Processing Services (GAPS). Please click here for instructions on submitting fingerprints to this office.


JULY 2010 BAR EXAMINATION APPLICANTS

         You are prohibited from having a cell phone or any other electronic communication device in the Examination Room. If you have in your possession in the Examination Room any electronic communication device, you will be IMMEDIATELY DISQUALIFIED from the Examination, and you will be reported to the Board of Bar Examiners and to the Board to Determine Fitness of Bar Applicants. Your device may be confiscated for an indefinite period of time and sent to the National Conference of Bar Examiners to verify that there is no examination information on the device.

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          No bags of any kind (e.g., laptop bag, briefcase, suitcase, pocketbook, purse, etc.) other than clear plastic zipper-type bags are allowed in the Examination Room. If you bring such a bag into the Examination Room, it will be subject to search and confiscation for the duration of the Examination.

          The Georgia International Convention Center prohibits the leaving of items in the lobby, hallways, or any other areas.

          The Office of Bar Admissions has NO provision for storage of personal items, including bags. You must leave your personal belongings in your car or make other arrangements for your belongings.



It is imperative that Applicants who are scheduled to take the Georgia Bar Examination read the Rules, Procedures and Instructions for the Bar Examination.

If you violate any of the Rules governing the Examination, you will be IMMEDIATELY DISQUALIFIED from the Examination, and the matter will be reported to the Board to Determine Fitness of Bar Applicants and the Board of Bar Examiners.

Click on the link below to view the Rules, Procedures and Instructions for the Bar Examination.


Office of Bar Admissions

The Office of Bar Admissions is the administrative arm of the Supreme Court of Georgia responsible for the admission of attorneys to the practice of law in Georgia. The Board of Bar Examiners and the Board to Determine Fitness of Bar Applicants are appointed by the Supreme Court to implement the Rules Governing Admission to the Practice of Law in Georgia. The information on this site is provided as a service to those interested in applying for admission in Georgia. It is the responsibility of those who are interested in admission to the practice of law to insure that they are aware of both the Supreme Court of Georgia, Rules Governing Admission to the Practice of Law and any amendments thereto. When the Court from time to time amends the Rules, notification is given to each of the law schools within the state, and the amended rule(s) are published in the Georgia Reports Advance Sheets. Copies of the Rules and amendments are always available free of charge from the Office of Bar Admissions. In case of conflict between the published Rules and any other source, the Rules, of course, govern.



Admission to the Practice of Law

The requirements are set forth in the Rules Governing Admission to Practice Law which have been promulgated by the Supreme Court. Before you begin the admissions process you should review the Rules to determine your eligibility.

Admission to the practice of law in Georgia is a two-step process:

Step One – Certification of fitness is prerequisite to filing an application to take the bar examination. An Application for Certification of Fitness to Practice Law must be filed at least eight months prior to the examination you wish to take. Specific deadlines are set by the Supreme Court and are available in the Rules booklet as well as on this website. The Application for Certification of Fitness to Practice Law is available in two formats on this website.

Step Two – The bar examination application must be filed as registration for a specific examination and is available only to those applicants who currently hold a valid Certification of Fitness. Notification of Certification of Fitness is in the form of a letter mailed directly to the applicant.

The Bar Examination in Georgia is offered in February and July. Specific deadlines for filing the bar examination application are set by the Supreme Court and are available in the Rules booklet as well as on this website. Initially, the bar examination application for the upcoming examination is mailed with the certification of fitness letter. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the applicant to request a bar examination application in time to meet the filing deadline. Applications for the February examination are available in November and applications for the July examination are available in April.

Contacting the Office of Bar Admissions


Address
Office of Bar Admissions
244 Washington Street, SW
Suite 440
Atlanta, GA 30334

Phone
404-656-3490