Official Government Website

Reciprocal Admission

Reciprocal Applicants – Idaho Bar Commission Rule 206

Qualifications. In order to be admitted to practice law without taking the Idaho bar examination, a Reciprocal Applicant must show to the satisfaction of the Board that he or she:

  1. Has met the qualifications for admission under Rule 202;
  2. Has passed a written bar examination and was admitted as an attorney by the highest court in any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia that grants reciprocal admission under provisions substantially similar to this rule to attorneys licensed in Idaho;
  3. Has been substantially engaged in the Active Practice of Law In Idaho or under the authority of another jurisdiction that grants admission to attorneys licensed in Idaho under provisions substantially similar to this rule for no less than three of the five years immediately preceding the Application; however, if the jurisdiction from which the Reciprocal Applicant is seeking admission to the Bar requires at least three years of active practice within the five years immediately preceding the Application, then the Reciprocal Applicant must satisfy the period of time required in that jurisdiction. For purposes of this rule, substantial engagement in the Active Practice of Law includes:
    1. Attorneys who are licensed in Idaho as house counsel under Rule 225. Practice of law in Idaho as house counsel without an Idaho house counsel license does not satisfy the requirements of this subsection;
    2. Attorneys who are  Judges, administrative judges or the equivalent thereof in another jurisdiction, of a court of general or appellate jurisdiction of any state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia or federal court in the United States; or
    3. Attorneys who are employed by and teaching full-time in an Approved Law School;
  4. Possesses the moral character and fitness required of all other Applicants for admission;
  5. Has paid all required Application fees and costs; and
  6. Has not failed the Idaho bar examination in the five years immediately preceding the Application.

The burden of proof is on the applicant to establish by clear and convincing evidence that he or she meets each of the above requirements.

Legal Intern or Pro Hac Vice.  The time an attorney practices or practiced in Idaho under Rule 226 or 227 does not independently qualify as time substantially engaged in the Active Practice of Law.

Time and Manner for Admission.  Reciprocal Applicants shall be admitted as provided in Rule 220.

The application process could take from 60 to 90 days to complete.  The application fee is $1,000.00.  If you have questions about the application process or the admission requirements, please contact Maureen Ryan Braley, Director of Admissions, or Belinda Brown at (208) 334-4500.

The text of the reciprocal admission rule is in Idaho Bar Commission Rule 206.

Fingerprint Card

Listed below are the steps for Admission to the Idaho State Bar under the Application for Reciprocal Admission.  The application process could take from 60 to 90 days to complete.

1. When an application has been processed and approved, the Idaho State Bar notifies the Idaho Supreme Court that the reciprocal applicant is eligible for admission.

2. When the Idaho State Bar receives the Order of Admission, the Admissions Department sends the applicant license forms to be completed and returned to the Idaho State Bar, along with a letter giving instructions for admission to the Idaho Supreme Court and the United States District Court.

3. After the Idaho State Bar has received and processed the license forms, the applicant is eligible for admission.  Applicant must first be admitted through the Idaho Supreme Court before being eligible to be admitted to the United States District Court.

4. Applicants must appear in person at the Idaho Supreme Court in Boise to be sworn-in.  Please note that applicants have six months from the date of the Order of Admission to be sworn-in.  Idaho Bar Commission Rule 220.

5. Pursuant to Idaho Bar Commission Rule 402, within 12 months of admission to the Idaho State Bar, each new Idaho lawyer is required to complete the New Admittee Education Requirement, which entails completion of 10 New Admittee Credit (NAC) approved CLE credits, including 4 courses fulfilling the Idaho Substantive Law Requirement.  NAC-Approved courses and courses satisfying the Idaho Substantive Law Requirement are available streaming online at isb.fastcle.com.
 
If you have questions about the application process or the admission requirements, please contact Maureen Ryan Braley, Associate Director, or Belinda Brown at (208) 334-4500.

If you have questions about the New Admittee Education Requirement, please contact Teresa Baker, Program & Legal Education Director, at (208) 334-4500.

If you have questions about CLE requirements, please contact Annette Strauser, Membership Administrator, at (208) 334-4500.

This list is reviewed annually.  If a jurisdiction amends its rules for admission without examination, then, depending on the nature of such amendments, Idaho may no longer extend reciprocal admission to attorneys from such jurisdiction.  The inclusion of a jurisdiction on this list does not guarantee that an attorney from that jurisdiction is eligible for reciprocal admission to the Idaho State Bar.

Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
District of Columbia
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Maine
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New Hampshire 
New Jersey
New Mexico 
New York
North Carolina 
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia 
Washington
*Wisconsin
Wyoming

*Applicants must have passed a bar examination

The Reciprocal Application, along with complete information for this process, is available in PDF format.You will need Acrobat Reader to open and print the documents. Please submit all forms on white paper. Please print out the following:

1. Application Information Sheet – Includes all instructions for completing the application.  Please print these instructions and keep them for future reference.
2. Reciprocal Application – Only original applications will be accepted.
3. Fingerprint Card – Request a Fingerprint Card, complete all information and return the card with the application.
4. Authorization and Release Form – Submit two forms for each application.
5. Consent to Release Student Records – Submit two forms for each law school attended.
6. Reference Form – Copy one for all references listed on the application.
7. Section II of the Idaho Bar Commission Rules

Questions or Problems with the Forms:  Contact the Maureen Ryan Braley, Associate Director, or Belinda Brown at (208) 334-4500.

The following attorneys applied for admission to practice law in Idaho through reciprocal admission.

APPLYING FROM 5/1/19 TO 6/30/19

Nathan D. Adams 
Midland, TX
The University of Tulsa College of Law

Brian John Bean 
Coeur dAlene, ID
Gonzaga University School of Law

Kristi J. Denney 
Pullman, WA
University of Colorado School of Law

Steven Neil Driggers 
Meridian, ID
Gonzaga University School of Law

Eric James Fernandez 
Post Falls, ID
Northern Kentucky University-Salmon P. Chase College of Law

Beau Devery Harlan Sr.
Vancouver, WA
Seattle University School of Law

Nicholas K. Hart 
Kaysville, UT
Charlotte School of Law

Christopher John Healy 
Carmen, ID
University of South Dakota School of Law

Catherine  Koszczewski 
aka Catherine  Kardong 
aka Catherine Kardong Koszczewski 
Spokane, WA
Gonzaga University School of Law

Jeffrey Irvin Nielson 
Meridian, ID
Baylor University School of Law

Paul  Okner 
aka Paul Torrance Okner 
Seattle, WA
Boston College Law School

It is important that you keep your mailing and email addresses up to date with the Idaho State Bar so we can make sure you receive important information.  Please contact Belinda Brown to update your address.

Request a Copy of a Previously Filed Application

The Idaho State Bar charges a $25.00 fee for all copies of previously filed applications. To obtain a copy or copies of your application, please submit a written request accompanied by the $25.00 fee for each copy to:

Admissions Department
Idaho State Bar
PO Box 895
Boise, ID  83701

Be sure to list the name and mailing address for the receipt of each copy and whether a certified statement should accompany the copy.

ver: 3.2.60 | last updated: