Moving forward, applicants seeking to practice law in Ohio must do so through the Bar Admissions Portal.

Moving forward, applicants seeking to practice law in Ohio must do so through the Bar Admissions Portal.

It’s a new year and a convenient, new beginning for prospective Ohio attorneys.

Starting today, the administrative process for admittance into the state’s bar will be completed online.

The Supreme Court of Ohio’s Office of Bar Admissions finished a transition, which began before the pandemic, from a paper-only system to an electronic one.

“This new format makes us more efficient, freeing us up to be more available and pay attention to other things,” Attorney Services Director Gina Palmer said.

The digital transition allows applicants to submit the required documents electronically, and gives them the convenience of paying fees by credit card, debit card, or an electronic bank transfer. Previously, the Supreme Court only accepted cashier’s checks or money orders.

The procedure to determine whether candidates are eligible to pursue an Ohio law license takes months. During that time, the Court investigates and assesses if a person’s character, fitness, and moral qualifications to practice in the state are met.

If approved, those seeking to become attorneys must take, and pass, the Ohio Bar Examination – administered every February and July.

Certain individuals qualify to apply for admission without exam through the online process. These applicants remain subject to an assessment of character, fitness, and moral standing: people who successfully passed the Uniform Bar Examination in another state; the spouse of a military person assigned to work in Ohio; those employed at a law school clinic serving solely indigent clients or employed by the public defender’s office; and those who have been practicing law for at least five years in another jurisdiction.