Vt. Bar Admission Rule 21

A person who is not yet licensed to practice law in Vermont or in another U.S. jurisdiction, but

who meets the requirements below may, under attorney supervision, act as a Legal Intern. A Legal

Intern may represent clients in Vermont and appear as legal counsel in a Vermont court, under the

conditions laid out below. A Legal Intern is bound by the Vermont Rules of Professional Conduct.

To be eligible to be a Legal Intern, a person must satisfy one of the following four criteria:

(a) Law Students. The person must be pursuing the study of law at an Approved Law School,

be in good standing at the Approved Law School, and have completed at least 3 semesters (or the

equivalent) at that Approved Law School.

(b) Law Office Study (LOS) Participants. The person must have completed 3 years of the LOS

Program (or the equivalent) under Rule 7 and be in the process of completing the final year of the

LOS Program.

(c) Applicants for Admission by Examination. The person must (1) be registered for the next

administration of the bar examination; (2) have taken the bar examination and be awaiting the

results; or (3) have passed the bar examination and be awaiting the Committee’s investigation

report or admission to the Bar.

(d) Applicants for Admission by Transferred UBE Score. The person must have been

determined by the Board of Bar Examiners to be eligible for admission by transferred UBE score

and be awaiting the Committee’s investigation report or admission to the Bar.

Board’s Notes—2026 Amendment

Rule 21 is amended in conjunction with the adoption of § 19 to

Administrative Order 41, which allows applicants who are pending

admission and a member in good standing in another jurisdiction to

practice under a provisional license. The Legal Intern Rules are

revised to pertain only to law students, Law Office Study

participants, and applicants for admission who are not admitted in

another U.S. jurisdiction. Rule 21(a) regarding the requirements for

legal interns who are current law students is reformatted, but the

requirements remain the same. Former Rule 21(b) and (d), which

governed graduates of approved law schools and attorney

applicants are removed. New Rule 21(c) and (d) address the

requirements for applicants by for admission by examination and by

transferred UBE score.

This rule is derived from the prior rule § 13.

The rules governing appearance in court by legal interns are

reorganized for clarity but largely unchanged in substance.