Besides filling out your bar application, gathering all that extensive paperwork, and paying the necessary fees, there are also several requirements for applying to and being accepted by The Florida Bar. The admission requirements for The Florida Bar are incredibly important, and the following information should be carefully and thoroughly reviewed before applying. 

Educational Qualification For Florida Bar Admission

Let’s begin with the educational requirements needed for applying to The Florida Bar. You must:

1. Be currently enrolled in an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school, with the intent to earn a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, or
2. You have already earned a JD degree from an ABA-accredited law school or one that was accredited within one year of you getting your JD degree, or
3. You have been approved by The Florida Board of Bar Examiners for Alternative Method of Educational Qualifications, which requires:
   1. The practice of law within the United States for ten years;
   2. Good standing with the Bar where you practiced; and,
   3. Submission of a representative collection of your legal work.

Florida Bar Admission: Technical Competence Requirements

Your technical competence will be reviewed when assessing your bar application. You are required to complete and pass The Florida Bar examination, which includes:

1. Part A. Florida Law Examination, taken after you graduate law school; 
2. Part B. Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), taken after you graduate law school; and
3. Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), which may be taken BEFORE  law school graduation. This is the only exam you may take while in law school.

Proof Of Character And Fitness Requirements For Florida Bar Admission

Another requirement of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners is proof of character and fitness. This is a determination of whether you have good moral character and are, therefore, deemed fit to serve the public as a lawyer. You must be completely honest and thorough when completing your Bar application. Once your Bar application is completed, the Board completes a background check. 

The Florida Bar Application Character and Fitness “Flags” list includes:

1. Educational institute discipline, including academic suspension for low GPA
2. Violation of college or graduate school entrance exam rules
3. Dishonesty on law school applications, or other jurisdictions’ bar applications
4. Employment
   1. Discharge, termination, or suspension
   2. Involuntary resignation
   3. Denial over concerns with character or background
   4. Charges and complaints
5. Military service
   1. Non-judicial proceedings
   2. Judicial proceedings
   3. Administrative proceedings
   4. Discharge
6. Financial obligations/delinquency
7. Student Loans/delinquency
8. Judgments and liens
9. Giving worthless checks, drafts, or credit card orders
10. Taxes/past due or not filed
11. Personal litigation and administration proceedings – Defendant
12. Personal litigation
    1. Divorce proceedings
    2. Bankruptcy
    3. Obligation default
    4. Court sanction
    5. Incompetence or guardianship
    6. Administrative or Quasi-judicial proceeding
    7. Held in contempt
13. Business-related litigation
14. Business ventures – unsatisfied judgments
15. Felonies
    1. Convictions
    2. Incarcerations
    3. Probation
16. Misdemeanors, infractions, citations, and other violations of the law
17. Vehicular offenses, including DUI
18. Traffic violations
    1. License revocation or suspension
    2. Infractions and citations
19. Grand jury investigation
20. Other Professional licenses
    1. Denied
    2. Discipline
    3. Complaints
    4. Charges
    5. Suspensions
    6. Violation of examination rules
21. Substance use and mental health
22. Involvement in an organization advocating overthrow by unlawful means
23. Violation of bar exam rules
24. Unlicensed practice of law (UPL)
25. Conditional or probationary admission to practice law
26. Lapse or termination of authority to practice law
27. Professional grievances related to practicing law in another jurisdiction:
    1. Disbarred
    2. Suspended
    3. Disciplined
    4. Cautioned/admonished
    5. Charges/complaints (formal or informal)

Eligibility Requirements For Admission To The Florida Bar

These are some basic eligibility requirements for applying to The Florida Bar:

1. You must be at least 18 years old to be admitted to the bar. 
2. If you have been disbarred, you cannot apply to the bar for 5 years.
3. If you have resigned with a pending disciplinary hearing scheduled, you cannot apply to the bar for 3 years, or the set time put forth by the jurisdictional authority that handled your hearing.
4. In the case of foreign jurisdictions, when suspended from practicing law, you are not eligible to apply to The Florida Bar until your suspension period has been served.
5. If you have been convicted of a felony or are serving a sentence of a felony, you cannot apply to the bar until your probation period has ended and your civil rights have been restored. 

Even with all this information, you want to get everything right on your Florida Bar application. Call or email Elizabeth S. Conan, P.A. for experienced counsel on applying to The Florida Bar.