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

(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.

Committee Notes

(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 21.) (Amended June 28, 1999, to amended June 13, 2014, to take effect Jan. 1, 2015; amended