Connecticut Bar Admission: Exam, Motion, and Character Review

Connecticut bar admission requirements come down to six things: a qualifying law degree, proof of ethics knowledge, a passing bar exam score (or a qualifying transfer or admission-on-motion package), a clean character and fitness review, completion of the Connecticut Practice and Procedure Course, and the attorney’s oath. The Connecticut Bar Examining Committee (CBEC) runs the process from application through swearing-in.¹ One thing to know before you start: Connecticut switched from the legacy Uniform Bar Examination to the NextGen UBE beginning with the July 2026 administration, and the two exams use different formats and different scoring scales.

Law Degree

You need a Juris Doctor or equivalent from an ABA-approved law school or from a school the CBEC has specifically approved. Beyond the ABA-accredited schools, the Committee has approved the Massachusetts School of Law and, for graduates from 2024 onward, Purdue Global Law School.² Applicants must be U.S. citizens or lawfully authorized to work in the United States.³

Foreign Law Degrees

A foreign law degree alone doesn’t qualify you. You need the foreign degree plus an LL.M. from an ABA-approved or CBEC-approved American law school. The foreign program must be recognized by the government or accrediting body in that country and roughly equivalent in length to a U.S. law school program, and you’ll need a course-by-course credential evaluation from a recognized evaluator.⁴

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

Ethics Requirement

Every applicant has to show knowledge of professional ethics. The usual route is a score of at least 80 on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, reported to Connecticut directly by NCBE. You can also satisfy the requirement by earning a C or better (or a passing grade) in a professional responsibility or legal ethics course at an approved law school.³

The Bar Exam

Starting in July 2026, Connecticut administers the NextGen UBE. It runs three hours a section over a Tuesday and Wednesday in the last week of February and July, and it blends standalone multiple-choice questions, integrated question sets built around a shared fact pattern, and performance tasks.⁵ Scores fall on a 500 to 750 scale. Connecticut’s passing score is 616.⁶

The exam covers eight foundational subjects: business associations, civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, evidence, real property, and torts. It also tests lawyering skills like legal research, legal writing, issue analysis, client counseling, and negotiation. Family law and trusts and estates may show up as context for skills questions but aren’t tested as memorized doctrine.⁷

Fees and Deadlines

The application fee is $900 if you file by the early deadline (March 31 for July, October 31 for February) and $1,000 by the late deadline (April 30 for July, November 30 for February).⁸ The exam is computer-based, and NCBE charges a separate $149 technology fee.⁹

For the July 2026 exam the CBEC capped applications at 600, so filing early matters for more than the $100 savings.¹ If you’ll need testing accommodations, contact the Committee well before the filing deadline; there is a separate application process for non-standard testing.

Transferring a Score From Another State

If you’ve already passed a qualifying bar exam elsewhere, you may be able to skip Connecticut’s exam. Connecticut accepts both legacy UBE scores and NextGen UBE scores.¹⁰ For a legacy UBE score, you need at least 266, earned within five years of your Connecticut application date.¹¹ For a NextGen score, the threshold is 616.⁶ You’ll need to request an official transcript from NCBE and file a Connecticut application. The score transfer fee is $850, non-refundable.

Score transfer applicants still have to satisfy the ethics requirement, clear character and fitness, and complete the Connecticut Practice and Procedure Course.

Admission on Motion for Experienced Attorneys

If you’ve been practicing for years, you may qualify for admission without examination. 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.³
You must be admitted in at least one jurisdiction that extends similar admission-without-examination privileges to Connecticut attorneys. The CBEC keeps the current list of reciprocal jurisdictions on its website.
You must be in good standing everywhere you hold a license.
The law degree and ethics requirements described above still apply.

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

Character and Fitness

Every applicant goes through an independent character and fitness review. The Committee looks at honesty, respect for the law, and financial responsibility, and it scrutinizes prior criminal conduct, academic dishonesty, and patterns of debt problems. A lack of candor on the application itself can be an independent basis for denial even where the underlying issue might have been survivable. Disclose fully and address potential red flags in your personal statement rather than hoping they go unnoticed.

Applications sometimes sit in character review for extended periods. If yours has been pending for six months, the CBEC will ask you to provide updated information, and failing to respond within three months causes your application to be treated as withdrawn. You can request an extension, but only before the three months expire.¹³ The Committee may also require an interview or hearing when complex issues surface.

The Connecticut Practice and Procedure Course

Neither the NextGen exam nor the legacy UBE covers Connecticut-specific law, so every applicant admitted by examination or by score transfer has to complete the Connecticut Practice and Procedure Course. It covers the Connecticut Practice Book, local court rules, and state civil procedure. You cannot be sworn in without it.

The Oath

Once the CBEC approves your character and fitness and confirms the remaining requirements, you’ll be invited to a swearing-in ceremony at the Supreme Court Building. You take the Attorney’s Oath set out in Connecticut General Statutes Section 1-25, pledging to practice honestly, to inform the court of any dishonesty you become aware of, and to serve clients and the court faithfully.¹⁴ Admission becomes official only after the oath is administered and your name is entered on the roll of attorneys.¹⁵

Your recommendation for admission is valid for only 180 days. If you can’t attend a ceremony within that window, the CBEC has to re-certify you before you can be sworn in.¹⁵

Continuing Legal Education

Admission carries ongoing obligations. Connecticut attorneys must complete 12 credit hours of continuing legal education each calendar year, with at least two hours in ethics or professionalism, and certify compliance annually on the attorney registration form.¹⁶ Falling behind on CLE or registration can put your license at risk.

A Note on Pro Hac Vice

If you’re licensed in another state and just need to appear in a single Connecticut case, that’s pro hac vice admission under Practice Book Section 2-16, not bar admission. It’s granted case by case, requires a $620 fee and an affidavit filed with the clerk of the Superior Court, and comes with its own annual registration and Client Security Fund obligations for as long as your juris number stays active.¹⁷ It doesn’t make you a member of the Connecticut bar, and it doesn’t shortcut any of the requirements above.

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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 Decisions by Jurisdiction
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NCBE. NextGen UBE Content Scope
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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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Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Rules and Regulations of the Connecticut Bar Examining Committee
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Justia. Connecticut Code 1-25 – Forms of Oaths
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Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Admission Ceremonies FAQs
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State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. Minimum Continuing Legal Education – FAQs
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State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. CT Statewide Grievance Committee – Pro Hac Vice