Alaska Bar Reciprocity

Alaska Bar Rule 2, Section 2 governs admission to the Alaska Bar for attorneys licensed in other jurisdictions. The process in Alaska is called Admission on Motion. Effective November 18, 2024 (SCO 2031), Alaska eliminated its reciprocal-jurisdiction requirement. Attorneys from any U.S. state, territory, or the District of Columbia may apply if they meet the practice and other eligibility requirements.

Applicants must have been engaged in the active practice of law in one or more states, territories, or the District of Columbia for three of the five years immediately preceding the application date, with at least 750 hours of qualifying practice in each of those years.

Admission on Motion (Criteria-Based)

Alaska no longer limits admission on motion to a published reciprocity list. Eligibility is based on Rule 2, Section 1(a)–(e) plus the active-practice requirement in Section 2. The map below reflects that attorneys from all other U.S. jurisdictions may seek Admission on Motion if they satisfy those criteria.

Additional Requirements

Alaska’s Admission on Motion requirements include:

Law Degree. A J.D. or LL.B. from a law school accredited or approved by the ABA or AALS when the applicant entered or graduated (Rule 2, Section 1(b)).

Character and Fitness. Attorneys must meet the character and fitness standards in Rule 2, Section 1(d). Character investigation typically takes at least three to four months.

Good Standing. Attorneys cannot be disbarred or suspended for disciplinary reasons, cannot have resigned with disciplinary charges pending, and must otherwise be in good standing for disciplinary reasons in every jurisdiction of admission (Rule 2, Section 1(e)). Attorneys who have engaged in the unauthorized practice of law in Alaska are not eligible under Section 2.

Practice of Law. Attorneys must have engaged in the active practice of law for three of the five years immediately preceding the application, measured on a rolling basis from the application date. “Active practice of law” means at least 750 hours per year in one or more of the following activities (Rule 2, Section 2(c)):

• Private practice (including qualifying pro bono legal services under Alaska RPC 6.1)
• Government attorneys or judicial law clerks (if graduation from an ABA or AALS accredited law school is a required qualification for the employment)
• Corporate / non-governmental counsel performing legal services that require a law license where performed
• Law professors teaching at accredited U.S. law schools
• Judges of U.S., state, territorial, or D.C. courts
• Legal Services / not-for-profit law firm attorneys performing licensed legal work where performed

Applicants must submit at least three notarized affidavits (from employers, clients, associates, attorneys, or judges) that collectively establish the 750-hour standard for three of the five years. See the Alaska Bar’s Admission on Motion checklist and FAQ.

MPRE. Attorneys must achieve a scaled score of 80 or greater on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (“MPRE”), from an administration taken not more than eight years before the Alaska application. The score may be submitted any time prior to admission.

Ethics presentation. Prior to taking the oath, newly admitted attorneys must attend a presentation on attorney ethics as prescribed by the Board and file the Rule 64 affidavit regarding the Alaska Rules of Professional Conduct.

Alaska Admission on Motion Application Procedure

Apply through the Alaska Bar Association Admissions Office. See Admission on Motion for the current checklist, fees, and document requirements, and Information & Applications for online forms. Applications may be submitted at any time; the Board of Governors must approve the application after character investigation.