Does North Carolina have reciprocity with South Carolina Bar?

Answer 1

Yes. Attorneys licensed in other jurisdictions may be admitted to the Ohio Bar without taking the exam under Gov. Bar R. I, Section 9.

You may apply for admission to the practice of law in Ohio without examination if you meet all of the criteria listed in Government Bar R. I, Sec. 9(A).

Your Application for Admission to the Practice of Law Without Examination must be filed with the Bar Admissions Office and include all of the following:

1. a completed Request for Admission Without Examination form;
2. the affidavit required under Section 9, Divisions (C)(1), (2), and (3), executed on the form provided (i.e., Affidavit of Applicant);
3. a hardcopy of the completed Applicant's Questionnaire, printed and properly executed, and a copy of the Questionnaire;
4. three original (separately executed) National Conference of Bar Examiners ("NCBE") Authorization and Release forms;
5. a Certificate of Admission by Bar Examination as an attorney at law from the jurisdiction from which you are seeking admission demonstrating that you have taken and passed a bar examination and have been admitted to the practice of law in that jurisdiction. You may seek admission from any jurisdiction in which you have been admitted by examination;
6. a Certificate of Presentation signed by an attorney admitted to practice in Ohio and duly registered pursuant to Gov. Bar R. VI;
7. your fingerprints taken by a sheriff, deputy sheriff, municipal police officer, or state highway patrol officer;
8. a certificate of good standing from each jurisdiction in which you are admitted to practice law, dated no earlier than 60 days prior to submission of the application;
9. an affidavit demonstrating that you have complied with Section 9, Division (A)(2), including a description of your practice of law, the dates of such practice, and if applicable, a description of your employment subsequent to ceasing such practice (i.e., Applicant's Affidavit of Past Practice);
10. an affidavit or affidavits confirming that you have engaged in the full-time practice of law for at least five full years out of the last ten years prior to submission of your application, as required by Section 9, Division (C)(7) (i.e., Employer's Affidavit(s) Verifying Past Practice);
11. evidence of receipt of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (i.e., an original certificate or official transcript from the college or university);
12. evidence of receipt of a law degree from an ABA approved law school (i.e., an original certificate or official transcript from the law school);
13. a non-refundable application fee in the amount of $1,250, by certified check or money order made payable to the Supreme Court of Ohio; and
14. a non-refundable fee, by certified check or money order, for an NCBE character investigation and report in the amount indicated on the "Request for Preparation of a Character Report."

For more information refer to the Ohio Supreme Court's website at http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/AttySvcs/admissions/no_exam/default.asp

Conversely, North Carolina provides that attorneys permitting NC Attorneys reciprocity may be granted admission without examination. See Rules Governing the Admission to Practice Law in the State of North Carolina.

Answer 2

The simple answer is no. South Carolina remains a closed minded, backwoods state with no intent to change in the near future. After all, "Junior" that did not do so well in college but "Diddy" paid to get him in a law school, would not have a job, if those nasty outsiders came in.

Remember, our bar exam results were changed when the spawn of Judges and Legislators failed.