SECTION .0500 - REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS

27 ncac 03 .0501             Requirements for General Applicants

As a prerequisite to being licensed by the Board to practice law in the State of North Carolina, a general applicant shall:

(1)           possess the qualifications of character and general fitness requisite for an attorney and counselor-at-law, be of good moral character and entitled to the high regard and confidence of the public, and have satisfied the requirements of Section .0600 of this Chapter at the time the license is issued;

(2)           possess the legal educational qualifications as prescribed in Section .0700 of this Chapter;

(3)           be at least 18 years of age;

(4)           have filed formal application as a general applicant in accordance with Section .0400 of this Chapter;

(5)           pass the written bar examination prescribed in Section .0900 of this Chapter, provided that an applicant who has failed to achieve licensure for any reason within three years after the date of the written bar examination in which the applicant received a passing score will be required to take and pass the examination again before being admitted as a general applicant;

(6)           have taken and passed the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination within the 24 month period next preceding the beginning day of the written bar examination which applicant passes as prescribed above, or shall take and pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination within the 12 month period thereafter; the time limits are tolled for a period not exceeding four years for any applicant who is a service member as defined in the Service Members Civil Relief Act, 50 U.S.C. Appx. 511, while engaged in active service as defined in 10 U.S.C. 101, and who provides a letter or other communication from the service member's commanding officer stating that the service member's current military duty prevents attendance for the examination, stating that military leave is not authorized for the service member at the time of the letter, and stating when the service member would be authorized military leave to take the examination.

(7)           if the applicant is or has been a licensed attorney, be in good standing in each state, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, in which the applicant is or has been licensed to practice law and not under any charges of misconduct while the application is pending before the Board.

(a)           For purposes of this Rule, an applicant is "in good standing" in a jurisdiction if:

(i)            the applicant is an active member of the bar of the jurisdiction and the jurisdiction issues a certificate attesting to the applicant's good standing therein; or

(ii)           the applicant was formerly a member of the jurisdiction, and the jurisdiction certifies the applicant was in good standing at the time that the applicant ceased to be a member; and

(b)           if the jurisdiction in which the applicant is inactive or was formerly a member will not certify the applicant's good standing solely because of the non-payment of dues, the Board, in its discretion, may waive such certification from that jurisdiction.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 84-21; 84-24;

Eff. February 1, 2025.