Jump to

Checklist for Computing Credits Earned to Satisfy Diploma Privilege Requirements (See Rule 3.04)

Courses Satisfying the 30-Hour, 10 Subject Area Requirement for Bar Admission

For students matriculating at the Law School prior to Fall 2023:

  1. Constitutional Law: Constitutional Law I and II*
  2. Contracts: Contracts I or II
  3. Criminal Law and Procedure: Introduction to Substantive Criminal Law and Introduction to Criminal Procedure
  4. Evidence: Evidence
  5. Jurisdiction of Courts: Civil Procedure II or Federal Jurisdiction or Selected Problems in Constitutional Law: Federal Judicial Protection of Civil Rights or Conflict of Laws
  6. Ethics and Legal Responsibilities of the Legal Profession: Professional Responsibilities or Legal Profession or Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice (Each counts one credit toward the 30-credit requirement)
  7. Pleading and Practice: Civil Procedure I
  8. Real Property: Property
  9. Torts: Torts I
  10. Wills and Estates: Trusts & Estates

* Constitutional Law II required only for those admitted to Law School in Fall 1977 or later.

Cross-Reference: 3.03 Legal Process Requirement; 3.12 Professional Responsibilities Requirement

Courses Satisfying the 30-Hour, 10 Subject Area Requirement for Bar Admission

For students matriculating as 1Ls at the Law School in Fall 2023 and thereafter:

  1. Constitutional Law: Constitutional Law (spring term 1L year)
  2. Contracts: Contracts (fall term 1L year)
  3. Criminal Law and Procedure: Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure (fall term 1L year)
  4. Evidence: Evidence (2L/3L year)
  5. Jurisdiction of Courts & Pleading and Practice:  Civil Procedure (fall term 1L year)
  6. Ethics and Legal Responsibilities of the Legal Profession: Professional Responsibilities or Professional Responsibility & Criminal Practice (Each counts one credit toward the 30-credit requirement). (2L/3L year)
  7. Real Property: Property (spring term 1L year)
  8. Torts: Torts (spring term 1L year)
  9. Wills and Estates: Trusts & Estates (2L/3L year)

For the list of courses that will for the present automatically be certified as satisfying part of the 60-hour rule of the Supreme Court's diploma privilege requirements, see the 60-Credit Rule courses list.  The 30-hour rule is a completely separate requirement, although credits earned there also are likely to count here. There may be other courses which will be counted in whole or in part. The 60-Credit Rule courses list contains only the courses which will automatically be counted.

Admission to the Bar

May 6, 1991

Policy Statement to be added to Appendix A of the Law School Rules

For the purpose of defining the term, "date of certification", in Supreme Court Rule 40.09(1) the Law School considers that the date of certification for admission to the Wisconsin Bar under the diploma privilege will be the date of graduation.

Supreme Court Rule 40.09

"An applicant who fails to establish qualifications for admission under SCR 40.02 with the clerk of the supreme court within the following time periods shall not be admitted to the practice of Law:

(1) Applicants who are awarded a first professional degree in law after January 1, 1981; one year following the date of certification by the law school pursuant to SCR 40.03 and 40.06."

Kenneth B. Davis, Jr.

Dean

Supreme Court of Wisconsin

In the Matter of the Amendment of
the Supreme Court Rules: SCR 40.09 - ORDER

Deadline for Bar Admission

On April 21, 1992 the court held a public hearing on the petition filed September 3, 1991 by the Board of Bar Examiners requesting the amendment of SCR 40.09 to clarify the time at which the one-year period of a bar admission applicant's eligibility to be admitted to the practice of law begins to run.

IT IS ORDERED that, effective the date of this order, SCR 40.09 is amended to read:

SCR 40.09 Deadline for admission.

An applicant who fails to complete all requirements for admission as set forth in SCR 40.02 within the following time periods following certification shall not be admitted to the practice of law:

  1. Applicants who are awarded a first professional degree in law after January 1, 1981: one year following the date of certification by the law school pursuant to SCR 40.03 and 40.06.
  2. Applicants who write the bar examination after January 1, 1981: one year following the date of certification by the board pursuant to SCR 40.04 and 40.06.
  3. Applicants who qualify for admission pursuant to SCR 40.05: one year following the date of certification by the board pursuant to SCR 40.05 and 40.06.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that notice of this amendment of the Supreme Court Rules shall be given by a single publication of a copy of this order in the official state newspaper and in an official publication of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

Dated at Madison, Wisconsin, this 7th day of May, 1992.

BY THE COURT

Marilyn L. Graves, Clerk

Filed

MAY - 7 1992
Marilyn Graves
Clerk of Supreme Court
Madison, WI

Received

MAY 12 1992
Board of Bar Examiners

RE: Moral Character Requirements for Bar Admission

March 24, 1970

TO: All Law Students

FROM: Dean Spencer L. Kimball

Applicants for Bar Admission can expect investigation to be made into their moral character, whatever the jurisdiction to which they may apply. While differences can be expected in the thoroughness of any investigation - and in the standards applied to whatever may be turned up concerning the applicant - it is in any case true that derogatory information not previously disclosed by the applicant is more difficult for him to explain satisfactorily than is the same information voluntarily revealed in advance. There is a movement in Wisconsin, as well as in some other states, to make the pre-admission inquiry far more significant than formerly, and far more searching.

Again, once some possibly derogatory episode has occurred, evidence of later conduct is critically important in determining whether to discount the episode in deciding on Bar admission. When, following a student's graduation, the Law School is asked for a certification of his moral character it is often most helpful when we can say that the applicant had informed us fully of an earlier arrest or other difficulty and that we were able thereafter to observe his conduct and report a judgment reached with prior knowledge that the individual involved has been in some trouble.

If in your record there is some episode which if revealed by someone else can look unfavorable to you, I encourage you to place in your file here in the Law School as much documentation of the event as you can. This should include, for example, whatever supporting statements you can obtain from persons familiar with the case. In deciding what kinds of matters to disclose it is essential to tell more rather than less - e.g., typically it is easier to explain in advance that you were once arrested on a complaint later dismissed than it is to make an explanation not only of the undisclosed event when it surfaces during a character investigation, but why you did not disclose it in advance.

If you have further questions, I suggest you see me or one of the Associate Deans.

NOTE: This memorandum has been inserted in the rule book because it continues to be good advice. Indeed, there is at present a strong interest among Wisconsin bar authorities in insuring that all applicants for admission to the bar have fully disclosed all information pertinent to the consideration of good moral character.

Notice to all Prospective Graduates

25 August 1993

Admission to the Bar

The successful completion of a course of legal studies and the receipt of a degree does not ensure that a person will be permitted to practice law. In many states, persons who have been convicted of a crime (other than minor traffic violations) may be denied permission to practice.

Before you can be certified for Bar Admission privilege in the State of Wisconsin, the Dean must certify as to your "good moral character." A copy of question 6 of the Law School Application, dealing with these matters at the time of admission to Law School, is reproduced below.

6. Omission or falsification of information relevant to these questions may have serious negative consequences in meeting the good moral character requirement for admission to the Bar.

(a) Were you ever suspended, expelled, placed on probation or otherwise disciplined by any college or university, either for academic or other reasons?

Yes or No

(b) Have you ever been convicted of, pled guilty or no contest to, or forfeited bail for any criminal conduct under law or ordinance, excluding only minor traffic violations?

Yes or No

If the answer to either 6.(a) or (b) is yes, please fully explain in the space below or attach a supplemental page.

With regard to the requirement for this information, please note:

  1. If your original answer to this question on the application form was incomplete or inaccurate in any way;

    or

  2. If, since your application to Law School, you would answer yes to either question 6.(a) or (b); or if any such action is pending, you should make full disclosure, in writing, to the Dean of Students, Robert Correales, Room 236 Law Building.

Daniel O. Bernstine, Dean

Law School RUles

Lock Icon