Pennsylvania Admission on Motion

Bar Exam Project wiki article. Part of the Pennsylvania Bar Exam cluster.

Pennsylvania permits experienced attorneys admitted in another U.S. jurisdiction to be admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar without taking the bar exam, under Pa.B.A.R. 204 (Admission Without Examination).

One-line summary

Under Pa.B.A.R. 204 (Admission Without Examination), an attorney admitted in another U.S. jurisdiction with 5 of the past 7 years may be admitted to Pennsylvania without bar exam. Fee: $1,325. MPRE 75+ and Character & Fitness clearance still apply. Reciprocity context: reciprocity-limited under traditional Pennsylvania rule, though PA also accepts UBE score transfer at 272.

Rule overview

Pa.B.A.R. 204 (Admission Without Examination) permits admission to the Pennsylvania Bar without bar examination for an attorney who is admitted to practice law in the highest court of any U.S. state, has been engaged in active practice for 5 of the past 7 years, holds a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school, has passed the MPRE with 75+, is in good standing in every jurisdiction admitted, and clears Pennsylvania Character & Fitness.

The practice-time test

5 of the past 7 years. The count is from the date of application, not lifetime practice. Inactive periods generally don’t count toward the practice years.

What counts as qualifying practice

• Private practice as a member, associate, or employee of any law firm.
• In-house corporate counsel at a U.S. corporation.
• Government practice (federal, state, local) in a position requiring bar admission.
• Judicial clerkships (federal or state).
• Military legal services.
• Law teaching as a full-time faculty member at an ABA-approved law school.

What does NOT count: paralegal work, legal-adjacent business roles, work in jurisdictions that don’t recognize you as licensed.

Reciprocity

Reciprocity-limited under traditional pennsylvania rule, though pa also accepts ube score transfer at 272.

MPRE and Character & Fitness

MPRE 75+ (any U.S. jurisdiction). Free MPRE practice: MBEmax MPRE. Pennsylvania Character & Fitness review is conducted by PA BLE concurrently with the bar application.

Fees and timeline

Application fee: $1,325. Plus per-jurisdiction Certificate of Good Standing fees ($25-$50 each). Processing typically 4-9 months from filing to admission.

Required documentation

• Proof of J.D. from an ABA-approved law school.
• Bar admission certificates from every jurisdiction.
• Certificate of Good Standing from every current jurisdiction.
• MPRE score report.
• Detailed employment history covering the relevant period.
• Character & Fitness questionnaire with full disclosure.

Common pitfalls

• Misreading the practice test (count is from application date, not lifetime).
• Disclosing thinly (non-disclosure is treated more harshly than underlying conduct).
• Underestimating C&F timeline.

Alternative paths

• If you don’t meet the practice test, sit for the Pennsylvania Bar Examination under standard rules.
• For UBE states, if you have a transferable score within the score-life window, transfer it.

Sources

• Pa.B.A.R. 204 (Admission Without Examination).
• Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners (PA BLE) — https://www.pabarexam.org/.