Connecticut Bar Admission: Exam, Character, and Swearing-In

To meet Connecticut bar admission requirements, you need a qualifying law degree, proof of professional responsibility knowledge, a passing score on the NextGen bar exam (or a transferred score, or qualification for admission on motion), a clean character and fitness review, completion of the Connecticut Practice and Procedure Course, and the attorney’s oath taken at a swearing-in ceremony. The Connecticut Bar Examining Committee (CBEC) oversees each step.¹ One recent change matters for anyone sitting the exam: starting with the July 2026 administration, Connecticut replaced the legacy Uniform Bar Examination with the NextGen UBE, which has a different format, scoring scale, and passing threshold.

Law Degree

Every applicant needs a Juris Doctor or equivalent from an ABA-approved law school or a school separately approved by the CBEC. In addition to roughly 200 ABA-accredited schools, the Committee has approved the Massachusetts School of Law and Purdue Global Law School for graduates whose degrees were awarded in 2024 or later.² You must also be a U.S. citizen or someone lawfully authorized to work in the United States.³

If You Were Educated Abroad

Connecticut requires foreign-educated applicants to hold both a qualifying foreign law degree and an LL.M. from an ABA- or CBEC-approved U.S. law school. The foreign degree must come from a school recognized by its country’s government or accrediting body, and the program must be roughly equivalent in length to a U.S. law school program. A course-by-course credential evaluation from a recognized evaluation company is required.⁴

The LL.M. must include at least 24 credit hours of classroom coursework completed on the campus of an approved U.S. law school. Of those, at least two hours must be in professional responsibility, two in legal research and writing, two in American legal studies or U.S. constitutional law, and six in subjects tested on the Connecticut bar exam.⁴

Professional Responsibility

You must demonstrate knowledge of legal ethics in one of two ways. The usual route is a score of at least 80 on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), with your score reported to Connecticut directly by NCBE. Alternatively, you can satisfy the requirement with a grade of C or better (or a passing grade) in a professional responsibility or legal ethics course at an approved law school.³

The Bar Exam

Connecticut administers the NextGen UBE on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July. The exam runs three sections of three hours each over a day and a half.⁵ Each section mixes standalone multiple-choice questions, integrated question sets built around a shared fact pattern, and performance tasks that call for longer written work or legal research.

Content covers eight foundational subjects (business associations, civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, evidence, real property, and torts) along with lawyering skills such as legal research and writing, issue analysis, client counseling, and negotiation. Family law and trusts and estates may appear as context for skills questions, but you aren’t expected to have memorized those areas.⁶

Scores are reported on a 500 to 750 scale, and Connecticut’s passing score is 616.⁷

Fees and Filing Deadlines

The exam application fee is $900 at the first deadline (March 31 for the July exam, October 31 for February) and $1,000 at the late deadline (April 30 for July, November 30 for February).⁸ A separate $149 technology fee goes to NCBE for computer-based testing.⁹ For the July 2026 exam, the CBEC capped applications at 600, so filing early has mattered beyond the $100 savings.¹ If you need disability accommodations, contact the Committee well before the filing deadline, because non-standard testing uses a separate application process.

Transferring a Score From Another Jurisdiction

If you have already passed a bar exam elsewhere, you may transfer the score instead of sitting again. Connecticut accepts both legacy and NextGen UBE scores.¹⁰ A legacy UBE score must be at least 266, earned within five years of your Connecticut application date.¹¹ A NextGen score must be at least 616.⁷ Request an official transcript from NCBE and file a Connecticut application. The non-refundable transfer fee is $850, and you still need to meet the MPRE, character and fitness, and practice course requirements.

Admission on Motion for Experienced Attorneys

Lawyers already licensed elsewhere may qualify for admission without examination. The requirements are stricter than the exam route. You must have practiced law as your principal means of livelihood for at least five of the ten years immediately before applying; full-time faculty and clinical fellows at accredited Connecticut law schools also qualify. You must be admitted in a jurisdiction that extends similar privileges to Connecticut attorneys (the CBEC publishes the reciprocal list), and you must be in good standing everywhere you hold a license. The same law degree and professional responsibility requirements apply.³

The non-refundable fee is $1,800. The documentation package includes a Certificate of Good Standing from the highest court of every jurisdiction where you have been admitted, a Certification of Actual Practice (Form M8) documenting your qualifying years,¹² character affidavits from two attorneys who know you personally, and character affidavits from two attorneys who have been admitted to the Connecticut bar for at least five years.³

If you only need to appear in a single Connecticut case rather than practice in the state generally, pro hac vice admission under Practice Book Section 2-16 is a separate, narrower process with its own fee and ongoing registration obligations.¹³

Character and Fitness

Every applicant undergoes an independent character and fitness review. The CBEC weighs honesty, respect for the law, and financial responsibility. Prior criminal conduct, academic dishonesty, and patterns of debt problems all draw scrutiny, and a lack of candor on the application itself can be an independent basis for denial even where the underlying issue might have been forgivable. The Committee can require a formal interview or hearing to resolve complex questions, which is where most delays occur.

If an application sits in character review for six months, the CBEC will request updated information, and failing to respond within three months after that request means the application is treated as withdrawn. You can ask for an extension, but only before the deadline passes.¹⁴ Disclose fully, and address any likely concerns in your personal statement rather than hoping they go unnoticed.

Connecticut Practice and Procedure Course

The NextGen UBE and the legacy UBE are national exams; neither covers Connecticut-specific law. To fill that gap, every applicant admitted by examination or score transfer must complete the Connecticut Practice and Procedure Course, which covers the Connecticut Practice Book, local court rules, and state civil procedure. You cannot be sworn in without it.

Swearing-In

Once the CBEC clears your character and fitness and confirms your other requirements, you will be invited to a swearing-in ceremony at the Supreme Court Building. Arrive about 45 minutes early with a valid government-issued photo ID; if you do not check in before the ceremony starts, you will not be admitted that day. Space limits you to two guests.¹⁵

At the ceremony you take the Attorney’s Oath set out in Connecticut General Statutes Section 1-25, pledging to practice honestly, to inform the court of dishonesty you become aware of, and to serve both clients and the court faithfully.¹⁶ Admission becomes official only after the oath is administered and your name is entered on the roll of attorneys. Your recommendation for admission is valid for only 180 days; miss that window and the CBEC must re-certify you before you can be sworn in.¹⁵

Keeping Your License After Admission

Connecticut requires all admitted attorneys to complete 12 credit hours of continuing legal education each calendar year, including at least two hours in ethics or professionalism, and to certify compliance annually on the attorney registration form.¹⁷ Falling behind on CLE or registration can put your license at risk, so plan these obligations into your calendar from your first year.

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Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Connecticut Bar Examining Committee Home
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Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Frequently Asked Questions
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Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Admission Without Examination (Admission on Motion)
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Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Determination on Foreign Education
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NCBE. NextGen UBE Blueprint, July 2026-February 2027
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NCBE. NextGen UBE Content Scope
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NCBE. NextGen UBE Decisions by Jurisdiction
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Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Connecticut Bar Examining Committee – Admission by Examination
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Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Computer-Based Testing
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NCBE. Connecticut
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Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Connecticut Bar Examining Committee – Admission by UBE Score Transfer
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State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. Certification of Actual Practice
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State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. CT Statewide Grievance Committee – Pro Hac Vice
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Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Rules and Regulations of the Connecticut Bar Examining Committee
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Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Admission Ceremonies FAQs
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Justia. Connecticut Code 1-25 – Forms of Oaths
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State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. Minimum Continuing Legal Education – FAQs