The Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands has the exclusive authority to admit attorneys to practice law before the Virgin Islands Bar.   The Committee of Bar Examiners ("the Committee") and the Office of Bar Admissions are administrative arms of the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands. The inherent judicial functions of both offices are to assist the Supreme Court in the administration of the Virgin Islands Bar Examination, which includes character and fitness investigations; ascertaining the qualifications of applicants for admission to the Virgin Islands Bar and moving for the admission of those applicants who meet those requirements as established by the Supreme Court Rule 204.  

 

Accordingly, please note that the information on this site is provided as a service to those interested in admission in the Virgin Islands. It remains the responsibility of those desiring to practice law in the Virgin Islands to ensure that prior to their admission, they familiarize themselves with all the rules of the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands, including but not limited to the rules which govern admissions and the rules governing their professional responsibility and discipline. To begin the application process, please contact the Director of Bar Admissions. 

 

Committee of Bar Examiners

The Committee of Bar Examiners consists of no less than five (5) members of the Virgin Islands Bar who are in good standing. All members are appointed by the Chief Justice and serve for varied terms.  

  

The Supreme Court has adopted the American Bar Association's (ABA's) Model Immunity Rule entitled "Civil Immunity of Board of Law Examiners, its members, employees and agents, and entities providing information regarding an application to the board," which provides as follows:  

  

·        [The Committee of Bar Examiners], and its members, employees, and agents are immune from all civil liability for conduct and communications occurring in the performance of their official duties relating to the examination, character and fitness qualification, and licensing of persons seeking to be admitted to the practice of law. 

·        Records, statements of opinion and other information regarding an applicant for admission to the Bar communicated by entity including any person, firm or institution, without malice, to the [Committee of Bar Examiners], or its members, employees or agents are privileged, and civil suits predicated thereon may not be instituted. 

  

Requesting an Application for Admission

Persons seeking information concerning the bar examination may, upon request, be furnished with a packet of relevant material upon remittance of a fee of Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00), payable to the Committee of Bar Examiners.  To view the Schedule of Fees for taking the bar exam, please click here. 

  

Criteria for Application

Prior to being allowed to sit for the bar exam, all individuals who desire to complete an application for regular admission to the Virgin Islands Bar must allege and prove, in accordance with Supreme Court Rule 204(d), the following:  

  

·        The applicant is at least twenty-one years of age.  

·        The applicant is a citizen of the United States, or resident non-United States citizens must be legal immigrants, i.e., immigrants who have lawfully been admitted for permanent residence in the United States.  

·        The applicant is a person of good moral character who has not been disbarred, suspended or sanctioned, or who has been reinstated or exonerated, and who is not under pending disciplinary action, by any state, district, territorial, federal or foreign jurisdiction.  

·        The applicant, who is seeking admission to the Virgin Islands Bar and is previously admitted to the bar of any other jurisdiction, is a current member in good standing of that jurisdiction.  

·        The applicant is a graduate of an accredited law school approved by the American Bar Association. 

  

Please note that pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 204(c)(6), no application to the Virgin Islands Bar may be filed by anyone who has been disbarred, suspended or sanctioned, without reinstatement or exoneration, or who is under pending disciplinary action by the Bar of any State, District or Territory of the United States or any foreign jurisdiction, or any Federal Court. 

 

Composition of the Virgin Islands Bar Exam

Each applicant is required to pass the following examinations:  

  

·        Multi-State Bar Examinations (MBE), which is a six-hour, two-hundred question multiple-choice examination covering contracts, torts, constitutional law, criminal law, evidence, and real property  

·        Virgin Islands Law Examination (Essay), which is a six hour, essay examination covering twelve subject areas of local law  

·        Multi-State Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), which is a fifty question, two-hour, multiple-choice examination designed to measure the examinee's knowledge and understanding of established standards related to a lawyer's professional conduct  

·        A Character Examination and Personal Interview  

  

Examination Dates and Deadlines for 2012

 

*All applications and fees are to be received in the Office of Bar Admissions on or before the deadline for filing.