204 Pa. Code Rule 205. Admission of Foreign Attorneys and Graduates of Foreign Institutions.

Rule 205. Admission of Foreign Attorneys and Graduates of Foreign Institutions.

(a)  General Rule. The Board, under such standards, rules and procedures as it may prescribe, may extend the provisions of Rule 203 (relating to admission by bar examination) or Rule 206 (relating to admission by bar examination score transfer) to any applicant who has completed the study of law in a law school which at the time of such completion was not located within the geographical area encompassed by the accreditation activities of the American Bar Association and:
   (1)  who has been admitted to practice law in and is in good standing at the bar of a foreign country or another state, as evidenced by a certificate from the highest court or agency of such foreign country or state having jurisdiction over admission to the bar and the practice of law and
   (2)  who has for a period of five years of the last eight years immediately preceding the date of filing of the application for admission to the bar of this Commonwealth engaged in the practice of law in such foreign country or another state. For purposes of this paragraph, the phrase ‘‘engaged in the practice of law’’ is defined as ‘‘devoting a major portion of one’s time and energy to the rendering of legal services.’’ The practice of law must be performed in a foreign country or state in which the applicant was admitted to practice law or in a foreign country or state that affirmatively permitted such activity by a lawyer not admitted in that jurisdiction. The term ‘‘practice of law’’ shall not include providing legal services when such services as undertaken constituted the unauthorized practice of law in the foreign country or state in which the legal services were performed or in the foreign country or state in which the clients receiving the unauthorized services were located.
(b)  Law study required. Applicants who meet the provisions of subparagraph (a) of this rule may apply to sit for the Pennsylvania Bar Examination per Rule 203 or seek admission by transfer of a bar examination score per Rule 206 provided they have successfully completed 24 credit hours in an accredited American law school in the following subjects: Conflict of Laws; Constitutional Law; Contracts; Corporations; Criminal Law; Decedents’ Estates; Evidence; Family Law; Federal and/or Pennsylvania Civil Procedure; Federal Income Taxes (personal only); Professional Responsibility; Real Property; Torts; Uniform Commercial Code, Art. II—Sales; Legal Research and Writing; and Employment Discrimination. No more than 4 credit hours in any one subject shall be counted toward this requirement. In fulfilling this requirement, applicants must successfully complete up to 4 credits in each of the following subjects: Constitutional Law; Federal and/or Pennsylvania Civil Procedure; Professional Responsibility; and Legal Research and Writing. All coursework for the required credit hours shall be completed at the campus of an accredited law school in the United States. No credit shall be allowed for correspondence courses, on-line courses, courses offered on any other media, or other distance learning courses.

Source

   The provisions of this Rule 205 amended December 17, 1981, effective 30 days after January 9, 1982; amended August 2, 1986, effective immediately; amended September 5, 1986, effective September 6, 1986, 16 Pa.B. 3282; amended June 16, 1993, effective immediately, 23 Pa.B. 3123; amended January 31, 1997, effective immediately, 27 Pa.B. 795; amended November 20, 2013, effective December 20, 2013, 43 Pa.B. 7071; amended January 4, 2022, effective January 12, 2022, 52 Pa.B. 341; amended April 17, 2024, effective May 1, 2024, 54 Pa.B. 2219. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (418233) to (418234).

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