Admission to the Rhode Island Bar - How to Apply

Initial Petition

Applicants who wish to submit a Petition for Admission to the Rhode Island Bar (Petition) pursuant to Article II, Rules 1, 1B, and 2(a) of the Supreme Court Rules for Admission of Attorneys and Others to Practice Law must follow the instructions available below. Please refer to the Supreme Court Rules to determine whether you are eligible for admission.

General Information

All bar admission filings must be submitted electronically using the Rhode Island Supreme Court Attorney Portal (RISCAP). While the application process varies slightly for Rules 1, 1B, and 2(a) applicants, the process consists primarily of three (3) steps:

Applicants must first complete the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) Character Report Application (NCBE Application) available electronically on the NCBE website following all NCBE and Rhode Island specific instructions and checklists;
If applicable, applicants must arrange for the official Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) Score Transcript and/or official Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) Score Report to be forwarded to the Clerk of the Supreme Court prior to submittal of the Petition; and
Applicants must then submit the Petition available electronically on RISCAP by the application deadline. Petitions for admission by transferred UBE score filed pursuant to Article II, Rule 1B may be filed on a rolling basis.

Instructions

Create a NCBE Account or Log in to an Existing Account

Create an NCBE Account or log in to an existing account at www.ncbex.org.

Complete a NCBE Application

Select “Character & Fitness” on the NCBE dashboard.
Select Rhode Island as the jurisdiction you are applying to.
Select the applicable application type of Rule 1, Rule 1B, or Rule 2(a). Follow the NCBE and Rhode Island specific instructions and checklists on how to complete and submit the NCBE Application (and any supplemental uploads).
Rule 1 and 1B Applicants: You must complete the NCBE Application on the NCBE website, print the NCBE Application (including supplements), and submit the NCBE Application to the Rhode Island Supreme Court as part of the Petition. Rules 1 and 1B applicants do not submit the completed NCBE Application to the NCBE. Rules 1 and 1B applicants just complete the NCBE Application (with supplements) and pay the $30.00 fee for completion.
Rule 2(a) Applicants: You must submit the completed NCBE Application (with supplements) to the NCBE as part of the character and fitness investigation conducted by the NCBE and also to the Rhode Island Supreme Court as part of the Petition.
Please note, if your NCBE Application contains the watermark “Preview Copy Only,” the NCBE Application is not complete. Submitting an NCBE Application with this watermark is not acceptable.
Please note that RISCAP and the NCBE website are not linked in any way. Therefore, anything you submit to the NCBE website, including the NCBE Application (and any supplements thereto) must also be submitted on RISCAP as part of your Petition.

Forward Your Official UBE Score Transcript and/or MPRE Score Report

If you are required to forward an official UBE Score Transcript and/or MPRE Score Report to this jurisdiction, log into your existing NCBE account.
Select NCBE Score Services and follow instructions requesting that official UBE Score Transfer and/or official MPRE Score Report be forwarded to the Clerk of the Supreme Court prior to submitting your Petition.

Submit a Petition for Admission on RISCAP

Create an account on RISCAP by clicking REGISTER.
Complete the Petition for Admission to the Rhode Island Bar.
Please see the charts below for the items that need to be submitted with your Petition in PDF form. In addition to reviewing the documents that all applicants must file, please take note of the specific documents required under Rules 1, 1B, and Rule 2(a) applicable to your Petition.
Any and all text on the PDF forms submitted must not be able to be live. To lock the text on PDF forms, you must print the PDF form as a PDF and save the PDF to your computer system. The printed PDF form will have all text locked so that the document is no longer editable.

All Applicants

Completed NCBE Application, with supplements if applicable. (See Rhode Island Specific Instructions for National Conference of Bar Examiners Character Report Application)
Photograph Identification (Color copy of current driver’s license or other valid photo identification)
Proof of United States Citizenship or Legal Residency (United States Passport, Birth Certificate, Certificate of Naturalization, or Permanent Resident Card)
Credit Report (Full credit report not older than thirty (30) days from Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax. Submission of credit summaries and/or credit scores alone is not sufficient.)
Criminal Background Checks (See Criminal Background Report Instructions . All required background checks should be uploaded as a single document.)
Two (2) Certificate of Good Moral Character forms (Please read the instructions carefully on the form for information on how to submit these documents. Please note that your partially completed reference forms should be uploaded as a single document.)
If applicable, submit a Request for Administrative Nonstandard Testing Accommodations form.
If applicable, submit an Applicant Request for Test Accommodations form.
If applicable, documentation not already submitted in response to the NCBE Application (and supplements) related to a name change, separation or marriage termination, any orders of license/certificate revocation or suspension, creditor action, business venture litigation, personal litigation, or guardianship/conservatorship.
Fully Executed Acknowledgment – Oath form (Please note that this is different than the NCBE’s Acknowledgment of Complete Application.)

Rule 1 and 1B Applicants Only

Request for Law School Documentation form(s) (Please read the instructions carefully on the form for information on how to submit. Please note that if you have multiple law school document request forms, these should be uploaded as a single document.)
Employment Verification form(s) (Please read the instructions carefully on the form for information on how to submit these documents. Please note that your partially completed employment verification forms should be uploaded as a single document.)
If applicable, Certificate(s) of Good Standing - State and Federal (Multiple Certificates of Good Standing should be uploaded as a single document.)

Rule 2(a) Applicants Only

Rule 2(a) Notarized Affidavit (See Rule 2(a) Notarized Affidavit Instructions).
Certificate(s) of Good Standing - State and Federal (Multiple Certificates of Good Standing should be uploaded as a single document.)
Handwriting Sample form

Contact

Rhode Island Supreme Court
Clerk's Office
Licht Judicial Complex
250 Benefit Street, 7th Floor
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
(401) 222-3272 telephone
(401) 222-3599 facsimile
ribarexam@courts.ri.gov

If applicants experience technical problems submitting filings through the Rhode Island Supreme Court Attorney Portal (RISCAP), please call this toll-free number at 1-833-307-2324 or email support at support@odysseyguideandfile.zendesk.com and explain the difficulties you are having with the RISCAP system.