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ILLINOIS BOARD of ADMISSIONS to THE BAR

ILLINOIS BOARD of ADMISSIONS to THE BAR

Information & Applications » Rule 705 - Admission on Motion » Admission on Motion Under Rule 705 General Information


Admission on motion is authorized and governed by Illinois Supreme Court Rule 705.
 

Rule 705. Admission on Motion

A person who, as determined by the Board of Admissions to the Bar, has been licensed to practice in the highest court of law in any USA state, territory, or the District of Columbia for no fewer than 3 years may be eligible for admission on motion on the following conditions:
a. The applicant meets the educational requirements of Rule 703; See Rule 703
b. The applicant meets Illinois character and fitness requirements and has been certified by the Committee on Character and Fitness;
c. The applicant licensed to practice law for fewer than 15 years has passed the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination in Illinois or in any jurisdiction in which it was administered;
d. The applicant is in good disciplinary standing before the highest court of every jurisdiction in which ever admitted and is at the time of application on active status in at least one such jurisdiction. For purposes of this rule, the term "jurisdiction" shall mean any United States state, territory, or the District of Columbia.
e. The applicant provides documentary evidence satisfactory to the Board that for at least 3 of the 5 years immediately preceding the application, s/he was engaged in the active, continuous, and lawful practice of law;
f. The applicant has paid the fee for admission on motion in accordance with Rule 706. See Rule 706
g. For purposes of this Rule, the term “practice of law” shall mean:
 1. Practice as a sole practitioner or for a law firm, professional corporation, legal services office, legal clinic, or other entity the lawful business of which consists of the practice of law or the provision of legal services;
 2. Employment in a state or local court of record in a USA state, territory, or the District of Columbia as a judge, magistrate, referee or similar official, or as a judicial law clerk;
 3. Employment in a federal court of record in a USA state, territory, or the District of Columbia as a judge, magistrate, referee or similar official, or as a judicial law clerk;
 4. Employment as a lawyer for a corporation, agency, association, trust department, or other similar entity;
 5. Practice as a lawyer for a state or local government;
 6. Practice as a lawyer for the federal government, including legal service in the armed forces of the United States;
 7. Employment as a law professor at a law school approved by the American Bar Association; or
 8. Any combination of the above;
 provided in each instance, however, that such employment is available only to licensed attorneys and that the primary duty of the position is to provide legal advice, representation, and/or services.
h. For purposes of this Rule, the term “active and continuous” shall mean the person devoted a minimum of 80 hours per month and no fewer than 1000 hours per year to the practice of law during 36 of the 60 months immediately preceding the application.

i. Except as provided in this subsection i. and subsection j. that follows, for purposes of this Rule, the term “lawful” shall mean the practice was performed physically without Illinois and either physically within a jurisdiction in which the applicant was licensed or physically within a jurisdiction in which a lawyer not admitted to the bar is permitted to engage in such practice. An applicant relying on practice performed physically in a jurisdiction in which s/he is not admitted to the bar must establish that such practice is permitted by statute, rule, court order, or by written confirmation from the admitting or disciplinary authority of the jurisdiction in which the practice occurred. Practice falling within g.3 or g.6 above shall be considered lawful practice even if performed physically without a jurisdiction in which the applicant is admitted. Practice falling within g.7 above shall be considered lawful practice even if performed physically without a jurisdiction in which the applicant is admitted, provided that the professor does not appear in court or supervise student court appearances as part of a clinical course or otherwise. If an applicant who temporarily engaged in practice performed physically outside of the jurisdiction where the applicant was licensed demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Board, that such practice was devoted primarily to matters governed under the law of the jurisdiction where the applicant was licensed, for the benefit of clients or entities physically located within the jurisdiction where the applicant was licensed, such practice shall be considered lawful practice for a period not to exceed two months.

j. Practice performed within Illinois pursuant to a Rule 716 license may be deemed lawful and counted toward eligibility for admission on motion, provided all other requirements of Rule 705 are met.
k. Practice performed without Illinois and within the issuing jurisdiction pursuant to a limited or temporary license may be counted toward eligibility for admission on motion only if the limited or temporary license authorized practice without supervision in the highest court of law in the issuing jurisdiction.
l. A person who has failed an Illinois bar examination administered within the preceding 5 years is not eligible for admission on motion.

m. Admission on motion is a not a right. The burden is on the applicant to establish to the satisfaction of the Board that s/he meets each of the foregoing requirements.

 

 

Adopted April 3, 1989, effective immediately; amended October 25, 1989, effective immediately;

amended June 12, 1992, effective July 1, 1992; amended December 6, 2001, effective immediately; amended September 30, 2002, effective immediately; amended February 6, 2004, effective immediately; amended October 1, 2010, effective January 1, 2011; amended Nov. 26, 2013, effective immediately; amended Oct. 15, 2015, eff. Jan. 1, 2016; amended Sept. 30. 2020. eff. Oct. 1,2020.

 

 

Making Application

Application for admission on motion is a two step process. The first step is to complete and have approved a Preliminary Questionnaire for admission on motion. There is no fee in connection with this step. The second step, once the Preliminary Questionnaire is approved, is to obtain the full admission on motion application materials and pay a filing fee. Making application is explained in full detail once your Preliminary Questionnaire is approved, and you are given permission to make full application.

Fee Payment Options

The fee for filing the full application for admission on motion is $1,500. At a later time, once you have received permission to file the full application for admission on motion, the fee may either be charged on our website to a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover or paid by certified check, cashier’s check or money order made payable to the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. A $15 convenience fee will be added to each credit card payment. There is no fee in connection with the Preliminary Questionnaire process.

 

Your application is not considered submitted until the required fee is paid. 

 

Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)

No applicant may be admitted to the bar of Illinois unless he or she has satisfactorily completed the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). With regard to the MPRE, Illinois requires that the applicant achieve a scaled score of 80 or more points. If you have previously taken the MPRE, check now to see whether you meet the requirements for transfer to Illinois.

Applicants must have their MPRE scores sent to the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar at 625 South College Street, Springfield, IL 62704, by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), which administers the examination. You can register for the MPRE online or if you have previously taken the MPRE and wish to transfer your score to Illinois, you can download the MPRE Score Report Request form  however, http://www.ncbex.org/about-ncbe-exams/mpre/mpre-score-services/ any MPRE score older than 15 years must be obtained from the jurisdiction in which you originally received your license.


Alternatively you may forward a check for $25 made payable to the NCBE with a written request for transfer to MPRE Records Department, 301 ACT Drive, PO Box 451, Iowa City IA 52243-0451. Include the following info in your request: full name, address, SSN, date of birth, MPRE test date, signature, and the request that your score is sent to ILLINOIS. Score reports with valid scores sent to Illinois stamped "unofficial" by the NCBE will be accepted. Questions should be directed to 319 337 1304.

 

How to Apply for Admission on Motion

Before you make formal application and pay the fee for admission on motion, you must complete the Preliminary Questionnaire (PQ) on this website, file it electronically, and receive written approval from the Board. There is no fee associated with the filing of the PQ. After your PQ has been reviewed, you will be advised by email that it has been provisionally approved, disapproved, or more information is needed. If your PQ is provisionally approved, you will be authorized to make formal application for admission on motion.

Click here to initiate application for Admission on Motion Under Rule 705 »