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4.1 Introduction
This Chapter will describe, first, the basic requirements to earn a Doctor of Laws (J.D.) degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Then it will address the requirements for Diploma Privilege in Wisconsin (the privilege to practice law in Wisconsin without taking the Wisconsin Bar Examination) (see 4.6 below). Finally, it will briefly discuss some procedures a UW Law graduate needs to know when applying for bar admission in a state other than Wisconsin (see 4.12 below). Contact the Law School Registrar at Registrar@law.wisc.edu with any questions or concerns regarding the
Diploma Privilege and Graduation course requirements.
4.2 J.D. Degree Requirements
Although the vast majority of students who earn J.D. degrees from the Law School also meet the requirements for the Wisconsin Diploma Privilege, it is important to note that the actual J.D. degree requirements are not identical to the Diploma Privilege requirements. Indeed, it is possible to receive a J.D. degree and not meet the Diploma Privilege requirements. In reading the following information about J.D. degree requirements, do not make the mistake of thinking these are the Diploma Privilege requirements (which are themselves discussed at 4.6 below). Note: the JD & Diploma Privilege Worksheets will assist you in keeping track of both your J.D. degree and Diploma Privilege requirements.
To graduate with a J.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School, four sets of requirements must be met. You must:
- Meet the residency & course of study requirements. See 4.3 below.
- Meet the credit/hour & subject requirement. See 4.4 below.
- Achieve and maintain a requisite grade-point average. See 4.5 below.
- Complete the work within 6 years of matriculation. Extensions of time, in exceptional cases, can be granted by the Retentions Committee; military service typically does not count against this time period. For more information on this time constraint, see Law School Rule 7.06.
4.3 J.D. Degree: Residency, Course of Study Requirement, Employment Limitations
You are not allowed to go to law school "too fast." Accreditation
rules, intended to assure that the quality of law school training not
be impaired by students carrying overloads and unduly accelerating
their graduations, require law schools to, in effect, set speed limits
on the pace of law study. The Law School is required to apply American
Bar Association guidelines regarding residency, including the
requirement that every student complete “a course of study in residence
of not fewer than 58,000 minutes of instruction time.” ABA requirements
for a Program of Legal Education are found on the web at
http://www.abanet.org/legaled/standards/standards.html (Chapter 3 of
the Standards for Approval for Law Schools); the residency and course
of study requirements are addressed in Standard 304. The ABA's 58,000-minute requirement is more than adequately met by the 90 credits required for the UW JD degree, but there is also a '45,000-minute' requirement, discussed below.
4.3.1 What Are the Requirements?
Please note that the Law School Rules are currently out-of-date
regarding the ABA residence and course of study requirements. Since
the Law School Rules were last revised, the ABA has altered
significantly the applicable rules. What are residence and course of
study requirements, and why is the ABA concerned about them? The ABA
requirements are set in order to prevent law students from securing a
J.D. degree in an injudiciously short period of time. That is, the ABA
doesn’t want students to rush through law schools “too fast” and thus
requires them to attend for minimum periods of instruction in order to
graduate. The requirements are written so that, even if one takes
abnormally heavy credit loads (and the ABA has recently limited the
possibility of even doing so), one cannot significantly shorten the
time one spends “in residence” at the Law School.
Time Limitations: Students may complete their degree
requirements “no earlier than 24 months” after commencing law studies
(ABA Standard 304(c)). This typically means, for example, were a
student to start at the Law School in September 2009, the earliest the
student could normally expect to complete all degree requirements and
graduate is December 2011–that is, after five regular semesters of
full-time study. Note, however, that in this instance some summer
session work would almost certainly be necessary: because the
First-year Program is currently limited to 33 credits, and in each subsequent
term one is limited to a maximum of 18 credits (see below), one would
still need 3 credits of summer session work to reach the 90 credits
required. Additional Note: It may be technically possible for a
full-time student starting in September to complete degree
requirements by August two years later (i.e., precisely 24 months later--and no
earlier); this would entail taking, after the first year, approximately
18 credits in each of the 2L semesters, plus approximately 21 summer
credits over two summers. Be advised, however, that: (1) that sufficient
variation in summer course offerings in subsequent summers is not
guaranteed; and (2) completing J. D. degree work in 24 months is difficult
and not necessarily advisable for most students.
Credit Limitations: Students are not permitted to be enrolled in more than 18 credits
per term. (See ABA Standard 304(e), which forbids enrollment, at any
time, in more than 20 percent of the total coursework required for
graduation. As the Law School requires 90 credits for the JD degree,
the applicable enrollment restriction is 18 credits.) Credits
associated with enrichment classes or other classes upon which JD
degree credit will not be based do not count toward the 18 credit
limitation.
Credits 'in residence': Law School Rule 9.01(1)(c) mandates that a "minimum of 50 credits must be earned as a J.D. candidate in this Law School for a student to be entitled to receive a J.D. from Wisconsin." Thus, a student who transfers to UW Law from a different law school, and who possesses a fairly large number of potentially transferable credits from the original school, must complete at least 50 credits as a UW Law student. This might mean that such a student will need more than the typical 90 credits total (see 4.4.1 below) to earn the Wisconsin JD.
Sufficient Credits in Courses with Regular Class Sessions: Per ABA requirement, graduation is conditioned on at least 45,000 minutes of instruction time being completed "by attendance in regularly scheduled class sessions at the law school." (ABA Standard 304(b)). Because the ABA suggests 700 minutes of instruction time as an equivalent of one credit, this means that approximately 64 credits of the 90 credits required for degree should be completed in courses with regularly scheduled class sessions. This will be important to keep in mind if, for instance, a student wishes to take numerous clinical courses, perhaps combined with other curricular activities that do not necessarily involve attendance at regularly scheduled class sessions. If you have questions or concerns about this requirement, please contact Jane Heymann, Curricular Coordinator, at jheymann@wisc.edu, or Amy Arntsen, Law School Registrar, at registrar@law.wisc.edu.
Employment Limitations: ABA Standard 304(f) for the Approval of Law Schools,
to which the Law School is subject, states: A student may not be
employed for more than 20 hours per week in any week in which the
student is enrolled in more than 12 class hours.
4.4 J.D. Degree: Credit/Hour & Subject Requirements
4.4.1 Credit/Hour Requirement (the 90-Credit Rule):
To graduate, law students must satisfactorily complete 90 credits (or “hours”) of courses, all of which must qualify for credit from the University of Wisconsin Law School, whether the courses are taken at the Law School or elsewhere. This is sometimes referred to as the 90-Credit Rule. (To “satisfactorily complete” refers to required grades, discussed at 4.5 below.)
Important Note: Any student who completes 90 or more credits and has
fulfilled all other J.D. degree course requirements (i.e., the
First-Year Program, the Legal Process Requirement, and the Professional
Responsibility Requirement), will be graduated – regardless of whether the
student has yet to complete any requirements necessary for Diploma
Privilege.
Additional Note: All 60-Credit Rule courses (discussed in 4.6.2 below) count toward the 90 credits needed for degree. (But not all '90-Credit Rule' courses satisfy the Diploma Privilege-related 60-Credit Rule.)
Please note that these JD & Diploma Privilege Worksheets are useful for keeping track of both your J.D. degree and Diploma Privilege requirements.
4.4.2 Subject Requirements:
Within the 90 “hours” (or credits), students must complete the following Graduation Requirement courses:
(1) The First-Year Program: Contracts I, Torts I, Civil Procedure I, Introduction to Substantive Criminal Law, Legal Research & Writing I & II, Property, Introduction to Criminal Procedure, Constitutional Law I, and an elective of one of the following: Contracts II; Civil Procedure II; Torts II; Legal Process; International Law; Administrative Law. (Note that elective choices can vary from year to year) (Law School Rule 3.01).
(2) The Professional Responsibilities Requirement: Professional Responsibilities, Legal Profession, or Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice. (Law School Rule 3.12)
(3) The Legal Process Requirement: Met by the Legal
Process course as well as a host of other courses that evaluate a
particular “legal system as a whole.” (Law School Rule 3.03) In
addition to the Legal Process course itself, other courses that satisfy the Legal Process
Requirement currently include:
- Administrative Law;
- Advanced Indian Law;
- Bioethics and the Law;
- Chinese Law;
- Community Economic Development Law;
- Comparative Family Law
- Comparative Law;
- Constitution in the American Civil War;
- Federal Indian Law;
- Federal Law
& Indian Tribes;
- International Business
Transactions;
- International Law;
- International Trade Law;
- Introduction to Islamic Law;
- Jurisprudence;
- Latin American Legal Institutions;
- Law and Economics;
- Law, Social Sciences, and the Humanities;
- Law, Theology, and the State;
- Legislation;
- Lincoln & the
Law;
- Modern American Legal History;
- Patterns in America Jurisprudence;
- Public Law and Private Power;
- Reparations in Theory and Practice;
- Selected Problems in Legislation: Doing Legislative History
- Selected
Problems in Poverty Law;
- Sociology of Law;
- Wisconsin Legal History;
- Women’s Legal History.
All courses meeting this requirement will be so designated on the online Course Schedule.
(4) Upper-Level Writing Requirement: Per Law School Rule
3.11.1, J.D. candidates have an “Upper-level Writing Requirement” and are required
to complete one rigorous writing experience subsequent to the
completion of the First-Year Program. [Students who matriculated in Fall 2010 or 2011 met this requirement in Legal Research & Writing II taken in the third semester of study.] For students matriculating in Fall 2009 and earlier or 2012 and after, curricular activities meeting
this requirement will be designated by the Dean and are denoted in the
Notes column of the online course schedule with “LW.” Students,
however, are urged to check with the course instructor to ensure that they
will indeed be able to fulfill the Upper-level Writing Requirement in
the course.
(5) Skills Requirement: Per Law School Rule 3.07, students who decide not to pursue Diploma Privilege qualification and who additionally do not plan to take Evidence must contact Associate Dean Kelly (KevinKelly@wisc.edu) about ensuring they take some appropriate skills course in order to meet ABA requirements for the JD degree.
Please note that these JD & Diploma Privilege Worksheets are useful for keeping track of both your J.D. degree and Diploma Privilege requirements.
4.5 J.D. Degree: Grade Point Average Requirement
To graduate, a student must have completed courses totaling not fewer than 90 credits, including all the courses required for graduation, with a weighted final average of not less than 2.0 on the Law School’s 4.3 scale. (Law School Rule 9.01) Basically, the weighted final average is based on all the courses for which a student has received Law School letter grades (as opposed to letter grades earned in non-Law courses and for which the letter grades on the University’s 4.0 scale are reported; these non-4.3 scale letter grades do not factor into a Law student’s GPA).
Thus, the critical average to maintain is a weighted average 2.0 or better (on the Law School’s 4.3 scale). Students frequently ask whether they must have a C (the equivalent to 2.0) in every class. The short answer is no. A second frequently asked question is whether students must retake any class in which they receive a grade below C. The short answer to this question is also no. But students must have a 2.0 or better overall--and complete 90 credits--(including all Graduation Requirements) in order to receive the J. D. degree.
Note: Since the Law School uses a separate grading scale from the rest of the University your official UW transcript and student record will not calculate or show your Law School GPA. Directions on how to calculate your Law School GPA are available in Section 9 of this Read This First! guide.
4.6 Wisconsin Diploma Privilege Requirements
Years ago, many states had a "diploma privilege," a set of course and grade requirements which, if fulfilled, allowed one to be admitted to practice without taking a bar exam. Wisconsin is now alone in retaining this privilege, by rule of the Wisconsin Supreme Court: http://www.wicourts.gov/supreme/sc_rules.jsp (see Chapter 40). To qualify for the Wisconsin Diploma Privilege, one must satisfy two sets of requirements:
(1) One must meet certain academic requirements. See 4.6.1-4.6.5 below. (2) One must meet requirements relating to character and fitness to practice law. See 4.7 below.
4.6.1 Academic Requirements
As stated above, the vast majority of students who earn J.D. degrees from the Law School also meet the requirements for Wisconsin Diploma Privilege. The JD & Diploma Privilege Worksheets are useful for keeping track of both your J.D. degree and Diploma Privilege requirements.
4.6.2 Degree and Course Requirements
In order to be certified for admission to the Wisconsin Bar under
the Diploma Privilege, a graduate must satisfy three requirements:
The graduate must be awarded a J.D. degree from the Law School. See 4.2 above. (See also Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 40.03).
The graduate must have satisfactorily completed courses in the Mandatory Subject Matter areas. (SCR 40.03(2)(b)) (To “satisfactorily complete” refers to required grades, discussed below at 4.6.5.) The Mandatory Subject Matter Areas are: Constitutional Law (divided into separate Constitutional Law I and Constitutional Law II requirements); Contracts (satisfied by Contracts I); Criminal Law and Procedure (divided into separate Introduction to Substantive Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure requirements); Evidence; Jurisdiction of Courts (satisfied by Civil Procedure II, Federal Jurisdiction, or Conflicts of Laws); Ethics & Legal Responsibilities of the Legal Profession (satisfied by Professional Responsibilities or Legal Profession or Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice); Pleading & Practice (satisfied by Civil Procedure I); Real Property (satisfied by Property); Torts (satisfied by Torts I); and Wills & Estates (satisfied by Trusts & Estates). (Note: the above rule is sometimes referred to as the 10-Subject/30-Credit Rule, although the required courses will add up to far more than 30 credits and, with the Constitutional Law and Criminal Law & Procedure requirements each divided, there are in reality twelve separate mandatory subjects, not ten.)
The graduate must have satisfactorily completed not fewer than 60 credits in the Elective Subject Matter areas. (SCR 40.03(2)(a)) (To “satisfactorily complete” refers to required grades, discussed below at 4.6.5.) This is most often referred to as the 60-Credit Rule. Each semester, a list of the courses satisfying the 60-Credit Rule is available to students. For an updated list of 60-Credit Rule courses, go to http://www.law.wisc.edu/academics/courses/ and click on “60-Credit Rule Courses.”
4.6.3 Overlap of the 60-Credit Rule with Other Requirements
All of the Mandatory Subject Area courses referenced above will count toward the 60-Credit Rule. A student who takes all of the Mandatory Subject Area courses (including the many found in the First-Year Program) will already have 46 or more credits toward meeting the 60-Credit Rule. Thus, the student need only take 14 or so additional credits of 60-Credit Rule courses to meet the requirement.
4.6.4 60-Credit Rule and Clinicals, Trial Advocacy, Lawyering Skills, Professional Responsibilities
In a student’s law school career, a cumulative maximum of only five clinical credits (to include internships and externships) will count toward the 60-Credit Rule for Diploma Privilege (but all such credits will count toward the 90-Credit Rule required for graduation (see 4.4.1 above)). In the General Practice Course/Lawyering Skills Course, five of the eight credits will apply to the 60-Credit Rule, but all will count toward the 90-Credit Rule. For Professional Responsibility, one credit will apply to the 60-Credit Rule, but all will count toward the 90-Credit Rule. For Trial Advocacy, a maximum of four credits will apply to the 60-Credit Rule for Diploma Privilege, but all will count toward the 90-Credit Rule for graduation.
4.6.5 Required Grades for Diploma Privilege
As stated earlier, students must “satisfactorily complete” both the Mandatory Subject Matter courses and 60-Credit Rule courses for Diploma Privilege eligibility (SCR 40.03(2)). By Law School Rule, this is interpreted as both earning a weighted (or “cumulative”) average of at least 2.0 in the Mandatory Subject Matter courses (Law School Rule 3.04(1)(b)) and earning a weighted average of at least a 2.0 in the 60-Credit Rule area (Law School Rule 3.04(1)(c)). Note that this does not mean that a C (the letter equivalent of 2.0 on the 4.3 scale) is required in each course; rather, the weighted average must be 2.0 in each of these two categories of courses.
Thus, failure to achieve a weighted average of 2.0 or better on the Law School’s 4.3 scale in the Mandatory Subject Matter courses will prevent the student from receiving the Diploma Privilege upon graduation. This often means that a student who has not maintained a 2.0 average in the first-year courses will not be eligible for the Diploma Privilege. Thus, a student who achieves a better than 2.0 GPA for the 60-Credit Rule courses overall, but did not achieve a 2.0 or better for the Mandatory Subject Matter courses required for Diploma Privilege, must take the state bar examination to qualify to practice in Wisconsin after graduation. Similarly, students must also have a 2.0 average or better for all 60-Credit Rule courses overall.
(Note: grades earned in any semester following the semester in which the J.D. degree requirements are completed are not counted for Diploma Privilege eligibility purposes).
4.7 Diploma Privilege: Character & Fitness Certification
4.7.1 Introduction
Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules state “[a]n applicant for bar admission shall establish good moral character and fitness to practice law.” Such an applicant must establish, to the satisfaction of the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE), that the applicant possesses the requisite character and fitness. (See SCR 40.06) Note that the burden is on the applicant to establish all necessary qualifications (SCR 40.07) and that the BBE “shall decline to certify the character and fitness of an applicant who knowingly makes a materially false statement of a material fact or who fails to disclose a fact necessary to correct a misapprehension known by the applicant to have arisen in connection with his or her application.” (SCR 40.06(3))
4.7.2 Securing an Application.
Information and Filing Instructions, along with the application packet, is available on the Wisconsin Supreme Court Board of Bar Examiners’ website: www.wicourts.gov/forms1/bbe.htm
4.7.3 Immediately Review the Application.
You are strongly urged to review the Character and Fitness Certification application at your earliest possible convenience. The first reason for this is so that you can acquaint yourself with the nature of the information being sought (much of which may oblige you to consult personal records, documents, papers, or contact third parties for required information). The second reason is to identify any questions you might have about the application and how you should proceed in light of these questions. BBE staff members typically visit the Law School each autumn in order to answer law students’ questions. You are urged to take advantage of these visits by the BBE staff, who are also available by phone to answer questions about the application. DO NOT DELAY in beginning to assemble the information you will need to complete the application.
Here are some web-sites that may prove of use in the assembling of required information:
- Wisconsin Drivers record:
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/drivers/points/abstract.htm - Wisconsin Law Enforcement record:
http://www.doj.state.wi.us/dles/cib/forms/record_check_forms.asp - Law Enforcement record other states:
http://www.doj.state.wi.us/dles/cib/sclist.asp - Drivers record other states:
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/library/research/resources/states/dmv.htm
If you have questions about the application or the application process not answered herein, you may contact April Stegmann of the BBE at (608) 261-2351.
4.7.4 Application Fees
When you examine your application, note that there are varying fees, depending on one's graduation month and when one files the application. For May graduates who plan on taking advantage of the Diploma Privilege, you will typically pay a lower application fee if you file your application by a given date in mid-December. December graduates can save on the application fee if submission is made by a given date in mid-July. August graduates can save on the fee if submission is made by a given date in mid-March.
4.7.5 Application Deadlines
Please read the following paragraphs carefully. Although the
formal deadline to file your Character and Fitness Certification
application is based on when your degree is conferred (and degree conferral
occurs at approximately the same time as graduation), if you wish to
participate in the large-group swearing-in ceremony, your application
should be filed approximately three months prior to the date of the
swearing-in ceremony. This may seem early to you, but the Board of Bar
Examiners requires a significant amount of time to complete the
character and fitness examinations for a great many applicants for
admission. (If you will not be available for the large-group
swearing-in ceremony, the BBE will send you the appropriate bar
admission certification documents; you are then expected to make your
own arrangements regarding a private swearing-in.)
Applications may be submitted following the actual conferral of the degree. For May graduates,
the application deadline is July 1st; for December
graduates, the deadline is February 1st; for August
graduates, the deadline is October 1st. Of course, if
you wait as long as the applicable deadline to file your application,
you will still have to wait some months while your application is
processed.
Importantly, if you miss this vital deadline altogether, you will have
forfeited the opportunity to apply for Diploma Privilege and will have
to sit for the Wisconsin Bar Examination. (Note: Students who study
abroad or visit at another law school in their last term will find,
even if forwarding of the resulting transcript to UW is delayed, that
the UW Law School will “back-date” the conferral of their degree to the
end of the term in question. However, if you have not yet submitted a
Diploma Privilege application, the application deadline (e.g, July 1st for May graduates) may have already passed. Early application
is thus encouraged.)
According to the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE), filing is completed on
the date a properly executed application and applicable fees are
received at the BBE office. The BBE does not recognize postmark dates.
Finally, once an application is timely filed, an applicant does have up
to one year to complete the application process before losing the
Diploma Privilege opportunity altogether.
4.8 Diploma Privilege: State Bar of Wisconsin & the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Wisconsin, like a number of other states, is an “integrated bar.” This means that to hold a Wisconsin license to practice law you must belong to the State Bar of Wisconsin. Graduates of the Law School are generally admitted to the State Bar of Wisconsin by being sworn-in before the Supreme Court of the State of Wisconsin, usually at a large-group swearing-in shortly after graduation.
The Board of Bar Examiners (BBE), to which you will make your
application for admission to the bar pursuant to the Diploma Privilege,
will communicate with you about the details of your swearing-in before
the Wisconsin Supreme Court. For May graduates, the large-group
swearing-in is typically held in early- to mid-June. For December graduates,
the large-group swearing-in is typically held in late January (this is
typically a combined session with Marquette University Law School
graduates). For August graduates, the BBE typically makes arrangements
for individual swearing-ins in approximately late September. The BBE
will not confirm you for swearing-in before the Wisconsin Supreme Court
until your application has been finalized and the relevant character
and fitness certification completed.
4.9 Diploma Privilege: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
Information on admission to the Federal District Court for the
Western District of Wisconsin is provided to graduating students
approximately four to six weeks before the end of the final semester. For May graduates a large-group swearing-in ceremony before the Western District is
scheduled on the same day as Wisconsin Supreme Court admission. Once
you have been admitted to the State Bar of Wisconsin by virtue of being
sworn-in before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, you can be admitted to the
Western District—either in person (usually on the same day you are
admitted before the Wisconsin Supreme Court), or later by mail.
While the process is made easy for you, you must nevertheless complete
the online application, take the oath, and pay the fee before you can
legally practice before this court. If you are interested in being
admitted before the Western District, but will not be available for the
large-group swearing-in ceremony, details on arranging for your own
admission are available at: www.wiwd.uscourts.gov/attorney-admission.
For information about admission before the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, see 4.10 below.
A brief note about other federal courts: All federal courts have their own rules for admission. Most are easily met and can be done by mail, but most also require that your admission be moved by someone who is already a member of that court. Contact the clerk of the federal court where you are interested in practicing to obtain rules and applications.
Admission to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court requires that you practice three years before applying; the website is: www.supremecourtus.gov/bar/baradmissions.html.
4.10 Diploma Privilege: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Other Federal Courts, U.S. Supreme Court
Some graduates may desire to be admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin in Milwaukee instead of—or in addition to—the Western District Court in Madison. As is the case with the Western District, before you can be admitted to practice in the Eastern District, you must first be admitted before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Applications and information regarding admission before the Eastern District are available online at http://www.wied.uscourts.gov/index.php. You should submit the required materials directly to the court in Milwaukee, either by mail or in person. You must have an attorney already admitted to practice before the Eastern District complete the required Affidavit in support of your admission. If you have any questions regarding admission before the Eastern District, please direct them to the court clerk's office at (414) 297-3372.
4.11 Diploma Privilege: Other Swearing-In Options
If you wish to be sworn-in to practice as a Wisconsin attorney but
must leave the state permanently before the large-group swearing-in
date for UW Law graduates (for May graduates, this date is in early- to mid-June), you can still be sworn-in to the Wisconsin Bar. There are two
avenues for this, neither of which is easy—so if at all possible, it's
best to get sworn-in at the large-group ceremony (or, alternatively, at the Supreme Court's regularly scheduled monthly swearing-in ceremony).
4.11.1 Out-of-State Swearing-In.
The procedure for an out-of-state swearing-in to the Wisconsin Bar is somewhat involved. A brief explanation follows and further information is available from Ms. Jackie Widing, Assistant Deputy Clerk, Supreme Court/Court of Appeals Clerk's Office, (608) 261-4311.
Supreme Court Rule 40.02(4) provides that the oath may be administered by any person authorized by that jurisdiction to administer the attorney’s oath for bar admission. If you wish to have such a person administer the oath, you must provide a copy of the rule from that jurisdiction which provides authority for that person to administer an attorney’s oath, along with a letter including the proposed date and time as well as name and address of individual administering oath. This should be submitted at least 10 days in advance of the scheduled date.
Along with the letter and the copy of the rule, you need to send the original Memorandum-Certificate (Board Certification) issued by the Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners, the completed Certificate Mailing Address Form (both of these items will be sent by the BBE) and a check payable to "Board of Bar Examiners" for the specified amount. The above items must be mailed to Ms. Widing at the Supreme Court Clerk's Office, P.O. Box 1688, Madison WI 53701-1688 (phone first to verify mailing address).
Upon receipt of the above items (letter, jurisdiction rule, memo/certificate, mailing form and check), Ms. Widing will send acknowledgment directly to the individual who will administer the oath along with required paperwork.
One variation of this: if you wish to be sworn in by another state's Supreme Court Justice (or member of the highest court in another jurisdiction) or a judge in the U.S. District Court, U.S. Court of Appeals or U.S. Supreme Court, you need not send the copy of the jurisdiction's rule on oaths mentioned above. You will need to schedule a date and time to be sworn in with the Justice/judge. Ms. Widing will need to receive written notice (letter including date and time as well as name and address of individual administering oath) at least 10 days in advance of the scheduled date. Along with the letter you need to send the documents (certificate/form/check) already mentioned above.
4.11.2 Early Admission.
The decision to seek Early Admission must not be approached lightly. Early Admission is granted in rare instances when the law graduate can
demonstrate that extraordinary and compelling circumstances, such as
medical exigency or military obligation, warrant this special
consideration.
The first step is to submit to the Dean of the Law School (via the Law
School Registrar) a written Petition with supporting documentation outlining in detail the basis for
the need. The Petition should be submitted no later than the last day of classes (this is a firm deadline: no exceptions). Of course, one's application with the BBE must also be complete. Additionally, the student MUST mark all final exams and final
papers with the notice that, in addition to being a graduating 3L, the
student is also seeking Early Bar Admission.
If the Petition is approved, the Dean of the Law School will write a
letter to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court requesting permission for the graduate to be sworn-in
early. The letter will include the reason and a statement that all
requirements for admission have been met. That letter will be forwarded
to the Chief Justice for approval or denial.
If approved by the Chief Justice, the BBE may issue your certification
as soon as possible following conferral of the J.D. degree. Once certified by the BBE (applicants
should contact the BBE with any questions regarding the timing of the
certification itself), the graduate may schedule an appointment to be
sworn in either privately or in a monthly group admission. After
certification, contact Jackie Widing, Assistant Deputy Clerk, Supreme
Court/Court of Appeals at (608) 261-4311 for more information on
scheduling an appointment to be sworn-in.
4.12 Bar Admission in States Other Than Wisconsin
4.12.1 Introduction
Generally, students who intend to practice outside of Wisconsin will need to take a bar exam in the state where they intend to practice and apply for admission to the bar of that state. As stated above with respect to Wisconsin, no matter where you choose to be admitted to the bar, you must fill out the appropriate forms, get records certified and forwarded to courts, and you MUST observe deadlines. Admission to the bar requires you to pay attention to details. Remember that there are fees involved, so plan ahead for these fees and for a bar review course if applicable.
The National Conference of Bar Examiners and American Bar Association publish the “Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements,” available here: http://www.ncbex.org/assets/media_files/Comp-Guide/CompGuide.pdf.
4.12.2 Early Registration: States other than Wisconsin
There are some states that require registration as a law student in order to expedite sitting for the bar examination in that jurisdiction. If you definitely plan to practice in some other state, you are urged to check with the licensing authority in that state to see if you can reduce the costs associated with admission in that state by registering as a law student.
4.12.3 Timeliness
As with the Wisconsin Bar, if you plan to seek bar admission in another
state, you must file forms for that state in a timely manner. You may
request the appropriate bar admission packet by writing or calling that
bar, or going to their website.
4.12.4 UW Law Certification
The state bar to which you are applying will probably require, as part of the application process or as a prerequisite to sit for the bar exam, some manner of certification from the UW Law School that you have indeed received your J.D. degree. You should carefully research what is required by the state to which you are applying.
Some states will provide, as part of their bar application materials, forms or certificates which the Law School must complete and forward on to the relevant bar admission authority. Some states do not provide such forms or certificates, but do require a letter from the Law School; usually the letter must contain particular information.
Forms or Certificates. You must provide, either directly or by email, the relevant form or certificate to the Law School Registrar (Registrar@law.wisc.edu) who will complete it and then forward it as appropriate. Usually what is being sought is a certification of the J.D. degree; therefore, the Law School does not complete the form/certificate until all grades (temporary or final) are received. You need to provide the Law School Registrar with the required materials long enough in advance to allow for their completion and to obtain the necessary signature. Remember, a lot of people are graduating at the same time so please allow sufficient time and be patient.
Letters. If your state requires a letter, you should email the Law School Registrar (Registrar@law.wisc.edu). Indicate precisely the recipient's name and address, what information should be in the letter, and when it is due. The Law School Registrar will produce the letter on behalf of the Law School and forward as appropriate.
Transcripts. If the bar to which you are applying requires a transcript, you must submit a request to the UW Registrar's Office. The Law School is unable to obtain either official or unofficial transcripts on your behalf. Order your transcript at http://ordertranscript.wisc.edu. If the transcript must accompany the certification letter/form, contact the Law School Registrar (Registrar@law.wisc.edu) to make the necessary arrangements.
Below at section 4.13 is a J.D. Degree Course & Credit Worksheet and a Diploma Privilege Course & Credit Worksheet. You can use these to keep track of both your J.D. Degree Requirements and your Diploma Privilege Requirements.
4.13 Read This First JD/Diploma Privilege Worksheets
Download JD Degree and Diploma Privilege Worksheets (best viewed in Adobe Acrobat)
“The most important office is that of private citizen.” Louis Dembitz Brandeis – U.S. Supreme Court Justice
