Admission to the NH BAR

Reciprocal Jurisdictions for Admission on Motion

General Rule on Admission by Motion – Supreme Court Rule 42(10)

Supreme Court Rule 42(10) authorizes admission to the New Hampshire bar without examination for applicants who, among other things, have either:

1. taken and passed the bar examination in another state, territory, or the District of Columbia that allows admission without examination of persons admitted to practice law in New Hampshire under circumstances comparable to those set forth in this rule; or
2. been primarily engaged in the active practice of law in a state, territory, or the District of Columbia for five of the seven years immediately preceding the date upon which the motion is filed that allows admission without examination of persons admitted to practice law in New Hampshire under circumstances comparable to those set forth in this rule.

It is the applicant's burden to demonstrate that the jurisdiction in question allows admission without examination of persons admitted to practice law in New Hampshire under circumstances comparable to those set forth in Rule 42(10). A preliminary determination has been made that the following allow admission without examination of persons admitted to practice law in New Hampshire under circumstances comparable to those set forth in Rule 42(10):

• ALABAMA
• ALASKA
• ARKANSAS 
• COLORADO 
• CONNECTICUT
• DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
• GEORGIA
• IDAHO
• ILLINOIS
• INDIANA
• IOWA 
• KANSAS
• KENTUCKY
• MASSACHUSETTS 
• MICHIGAN
• MINNESOTA 
• MISSOURI
• NEBRASKA 
• NEW YORK
• NORTH CAROLINA 
• NORTH DAKOTA
• OHIO
• OKLAHOMA 
• PENNSYLVANIA 
• SOUTH DAKOTA
• TENNESSEE
• TEXAS
• UTAH
• VIRGINIA
• WASHINGTON
• WYOMING

A preliminary determination has been made that the following states do not allow admission without examination of persons admitted to practice law in New Hampshire under circumstances comparable to those set forth in Rule 42(10).

• ARIZONA 
• CALIFORNIA 
• DELAWARE
• FLORIDA 
• HAWAII 
• LOUISIANA 
• MARYLAND
• MAINE* 
• MISSISSIPPI
• MONTANA 
• NEVADA 
• NEW JERSEY
• NEW MEXICO 
• OREGON
• RHODE ISLAND 
• SOUTH CAROLINA 
• VERMONT* 
• WEST VIRGINIA 
• WISCONSIN 

As noted, all determinations are preliminary and may be subject to change.

*NOTE

Although applicants admitted to practice in MAINE or VERMONT may not be eligible for admission on motion under Rule 42(10), such applicants may be eligible for admission on motion under Rule 42(11) or 42(12).

Last updated: 09/12/07