Rules

If you have begun to study law at an ABA-approved law school in Texas, and you intend to apply for licensure in Texas, then you must file a Declaration of Intention to Study Law. Do not file a Declaration until you have actually started at a Texas law school.

It is your responsibility to carefully read the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas, to determine whether you may be eligible for admission. We cannot give any advisory opinions, nor can any determination of eligibility occur before an application is filed.
Per Rule 18(b), fees are not refunded or transferred.

Electronic Communications

It is important that you check this website and your ATLAS account on a regular basis to review our latest postings. We will correspond with you primarily through your ATLAS account, but we may also correspond with you by e-mail and through the U.S. postal service. You must keep your e-mail address and mailing address updated in your ATLAS account.

You are deemed by the Board to have received and read:

• e-mail we send to the e-mail address you have provided in your ATLAS account
• messages we post in your ATLAS account
• mail we send to you at the mailing address you have provided in your ATLAS account.

TIP: Add @ble.texas.gov and noreply@ble.texas.gov to your contacts or address book to ensure that your internet provider does not filter out e-mails we send you.

Fees are not refunded or transferred.

A late Declaration will be accepted with the payment of the late filing fee provided that the Declaration and required fees are filed in accordance with the application filing deadlines set forth in Rule 9. However, regardless of the date a Declaration is filed, the Board shall have 270 days from the date the Declaration is filed to conduct its character and fitness investigation and notify the Declarant of the Board’s determination, as provided in Rule 8(a). There is no refund of fees in the event of withdrawal or rejection of a Declaration.

Basic Steps to Sumitting a Declaration of Intention to Study Law

• Create a personal ATLAS account on this website.
• From your ATLAS account, complete the appropriate application.
• In the "Upload Required Documents" box on the right side of your ATLAS user page, click "View Documents" and upload required documents. Keep originals on hand-you must mail them to us upon request. If you need to upload more than one item for any of the Required Documents, use the "Upload New Documents" button to upload additional documents.
• Electronically submit your declaration and pay the filing fee.
• Arrange for third parties to provide documents to us as needed.
• Update your mailing address, email address, and other personal information through the Personal Info tab in your ATLAS account.
• Amend your declaration as needed through your ATLAS user home.

Proof of Citizenship, USCIS Status, or Other Compliance with Rule 2(a)(5)

If you are a United States citizen or a United States national, then you should provide the Board with an original birth certificate issued by a U.S. city, county, or state, or an original Consular Report of Birth.
If you are a naturalized United States citizen, then you should provide the Board with a legible copy of both sides of your Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship.
If you are authorized to work lawfully in the United States, then you should provide the Board with a legible copy of both sides of the USCIS document evidencing your status. A photocopy is acceptable.
If you do not reside in the United States at the time of your application, then you should provide the Board with a legible copy of a valid identification card, containing the address where you reside, issued by a governmental body in the jurisdiction in which you reside. In addition, you should execute the Affidavit of Residency Outside the United States included in the General Application.

Proof of Name Change

You must provide a certified copy of an amended birth certificate or court order that changes your name. If your name changed by marriage, submit a legible copy of your marriage license.

Orders of Non-Disclosure

Pursuant to the Gov't Code Sec. 552.142 (b), if you have criminal matters that are the subject of an order of non-disclosure you are not required to reveal those criminal matters on this form. However, a criminal matter that is the subject of an order of non-disclosure may become a character and fitness issue. Pursuant to other sections of the Government Code 411.081(d), 411.081(i)(5), 411.083(b), 411.084(a), 411.087(a), and 411.100, the Texas Board of Law Examiners is entitled to access criminal history record information that is the subject of an order of non-disclosure. Therefore, if the Board discovers a criminal matter that is the subject of an order of non-disclosure, even if you properly did not reveal that matter, the Board may ask you to provide information about that criminal matter.

Expunged and Sealed Offenses

Matters expunged pursuant to Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 55.02, or pursuant to another State’s statute with the same force and effect, need not be disclosed. While expunged or sealed offenses, arrests, tickets, or citations need not be disclosed, it is your responsibility to ensure the offense, arrest, ticket, or citation has, in fact, been expunged or sealed. It is recommended that you obtain a copy of the Court Order expunging or sealing the record in question. Failure to reveal an offense, arrest, ticket, or citation that is not in fact expunged or sealed, raises questions related to truthfulness in addition to questions regarding the offense itself. Note that orders of non-disclosure pursuant to Gov't Code §411.081 are not orders of expunction.

Employment History

If an employer is no longer in business, you should enter the phrase "no longer in business" on the line for the supervisor’s name, instead of listing the name of your supervisor.
If your immediate supervisor is no longer employed by the employer, you have a choice: either list the name of another supervisor still employed by the employer who will be able to respond to an inquiry from the Board staff as to your honesty, etc., or list the current address of your former supervisor, wherever that person is now, or if neither is a viable option, state "personnel department."
If you cannot locate any documentation that indicates the exact dates you were employed, list the approximate dates, but indicate that they are approximate.
If you were employed in a non-paid, intern-type position, you should list such employment situations. Board staff will elicit responses as to your honesty, etc., so the fact that you were not paid is not important.

FBI Fingerprint Card

A fingerprint check with the Federal Bureau of Investigation is mandatory. We cannot complete the investigation of your application without the results of your FBI fingerprint check. Current information on the fingerprinting requirement is available here.

Court Records

You must provide copies of all requested court records as specified on the application.

Arrest/Offense Reports

If any of the offenses you describe resulted from an arrest (as opposed to a citation or a ticket) that occurred within five years of the date you sign this Declaration, you are responsible for either providing legible copies of the arrest/offense reports for such offenses, or providing proof that you made a written request for such reports. You are not required to provide copies of citations or tickets.

Law School Application

You must upload a copy of your law school application (including all attachments, amendments, and updates) for every school attended within the past five years.

You must provide your Law School Admission Council’s (LSAC) Account Number. The link for the LSAC account number lookup is http://lsaclookup.lsac.org/lookup.aspx. If you have interacted with LSAC in any way, you have an LSAC account number. If you do not have an LSAC account number, you need to create an account by going to http://lsaclookup.lsac.org/lookup.aspx.

Full Disclosure

It is imperative that you honestly and fully answer all questions, regardless of whether you believe the information requested is relevant. Your responses on your application are evaluated as evidence of your candor and honesty. An honest "yes" answer to a question on your application is not definitive as to the Board’s assessment of your present moral character and fitness, but a dishonest "no" answer is evidence of a lack of candor and honesty, which may be definitive on the character and fitness issue.

Obligation to Update

While your Declaration is pending, you must immediately amend your Declaration with any new or changed information.

You may be obligated to inform your law school of arrests, citations, or other misconduct occurring while you are in law school. Check your law school application and with your law school for its policies and procedures regarding your obligation to make such disclosures.

You must keep your contact information current—make changes as needed through the Personal Info tab in your ATLAS account.