Vt. Bar Admission Rule 15

An Attorney-Applicant must meet all the following requirements.

(a) Practice of Law. The Attorney-Applicant must have been Actively Engaged in the Practice

of Law for 5 of the preceding 10 years in one or more U.S. jurisdictions.

(1) Waiver. Part of the 5-year requirement may be waived if:

(A) any jurisdiction in which the Attorney-Applicant is currently licensed and in which

he or she has been Actively Engaged in the Practice of Law for not less than six months

requires fewer than 5 years’ admission as a condition of admission on motion and without

examination for attorneys licensed in that jurisdiction; and

(B) the Attorney-Applicant has been Actively Engaged in the Practice of Law for not

less than 3 of the preceding 10 years.

(2) Waiver for Maine and New Hampshire. The 5-year requirement may be waived if the

Attorney-Applicant is currently licensed to practice law in Maine or New Hampshire and has

been Actively Engaged in the Practice of Law in Maine or New Hampshire for not less than 3

years immediately preceding filing an Application for admission under this rule. This provision

of the rule shall remain in effect only so long as the equivalent Maine or New Hampshire rule

remains effective.

(b) Current Licensing and Status. The Attorney-Applicant must be currently licensed to

practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction; not under suspension or revocation in any jurisdiction for

disciplinary reasons; and be a member in good standing in all jurisdictions in which the Attorney-Applicant practices law.

(c) Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Requirement. The Attorney-Applicant must satisfy the

post-admission CLE requirement set forth in Rule 12.

Board’s Notes—2026 Amendment

Rule 15(c) is amended to simply specify that an attorney

admitted without examination is subject to the post-admission CLE

requirement detailed in Rule 12(a)(1), rather than restating that

requirement.

Board’s Notes—2021 Amendment

Rules 12(a)(1) and 15(c) are amended to make the first-year CLE

requirement consistent with recent changes to the Rules for

Mandatory Continuing Legal Education. Specifically, the prior

distinction between live and self-study in 12(a)(1) is replaced with

the distinction between Moderated Programming, Non-Moderated

Programming with Interactivity as a Key Component, and other.

Further, the minimum number of hours of programming that is

Moderated or Non-Moderated with Interactivity as a Key

Component is increased from 6 to 9.

Rule 15 is derived from the prior rule § 7.

The requirements for Attorney-Applicants are substantively

unchanged. The new rule extends the time period during which an

Attorney-Applicant must complete the required CLE. The new rule

for Attorney-Applicants, consistent with the new CLE requirement

for newly licensed lawyers under Rule 12, allows for the required

CLE to be completed up to one year after admission to the bar. The

approved live courses are offered at limited times. The new rule

allows additional flexibility while ensuring that the CLE program is

timely completed.

PART IV. CHARACTER AND FITNESS REVIEW