Rule 719: Admission to the Bar Without Examination

(a)   Eligibility. An applicant for admission to the Kansas bar is eligible for admission without examination if the applicant meets the following requirements:

(1)   was admitted to the practice of law by examination by the highest court of another state, the District of Columbia, or a United States territory;

(2)   has an active law license from the highest court of another state, the District of Columbia, or a United States territory;

(3)   is eligible under Rule 708;

(4)   has never received professional discipline of suspension, disbarment, or loss of license in any jurisdiction; and

(5)   has lawfully engaged in the active practice of law for five of the seven years immediately preceding the date of the application.

(b)   Active Practice of Law. For purposes of this rule, the active practice of law includes the following activities:

(1)   representing a client in the practice of law;

(2)   serving as corporate counsel or as an attorney with a local, state, or federal government body;

(3)   teaching at a law school approved by the American Bar Association; and

(4)   serving as a judge or judicial law clerk in a federal, state, or local court, provided that the position required a license to practice law.

(c)   Required Documents and Fee. An applicant under this rule must submit the following:

(1)   an application submitted and accepted through the Attorney Admissions office’s online portal;

(2)   any other information the admissions attorney, the Attorney Admissions Review Committee, or the Board of Law Examiners requests for use in considering the application; and

(3)   the fee under Rule 707(a)(6).

(d)   Application Review Process. The following rules apply in the application review process:

(1)   Rule 723 and Rule 725 apply to the character and fitness investigation and any hearing;

(2)   Rule 724 applies following an adverse Board ruling; and

(3)   Rule 726 applies if the Board approves an application.

[History: New rule adopted effective July 1, 2022; Am. effective January 11, 2024.]