Rule 13 §3, Exemption from the Law Study Requirement for Applicants Who Are Authorized to Practice Law in Another State, provides:
An Applicant who is authorized to practice law in another State is exempt from the law study requirement prescribed by Rule 3 if the Applicant:
- has been actively and substantially engaged in the lawful practice of law as the Applicant’s principal business or occupation for at least three of the last five years immediately preceding the filing of the most recent Application; and
- either;
- holds a J.D. degree, from an unapproved law school that is accredited in the State where it is located; or
- holds the equivalent of a J.D. degree from a law school that is accredited in the State where it is located and that requires a course of study that is substantially equivalent in duration and substance to the legal education provided by an approved law school.
Note: A J.D. degree that is earned primarily through online courses or other distance-learning programs does not satisfy the requirements of this Rule. See Rule 13 §6.
It is your responsibility to carefully read the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas, in particular Rules 2 and 13, to determine whether you qualify. We cannot give any advisory opinions, nor can any determination of eligibility occur before an application is filed.