Colorado Supreme Court

Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel

Promoting Professionalism. Protecting the Public.

Practicing in Other Jurisdictions

Attorneys currently admitted in Colorado may be able to practice in another jurisdiction through various ways. Each state has its own specific admissions and temporary practice rules. If you are thinking of practicing in a temporary fashion in another state, you can find more information on the American Bar Association website.

If you are thinking of practicing in another jurisdiction, you can find a comprehensive report on the different admissions rules in each state, available on the National Conference of Bar Examiners website.

Foreign attorneys may be able to practice law on a temporary basis, depending on the rules for each state. The ABA provides an informative chart on their website.

Each state is responsible for regulating the attorneys licensed in their state, and all attorneys should be aware of the rules that apply to their practice. A multijurisdictional practice may be permitted under certain conditions, but attorneys must look to each jurisdiction’s rules for possible consequences of such practice. Many states have adopted rules of professional conduct similar to the ABA’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct. In particular, Model Rule 8.5, and similarly Colorado’s Rule of Professional Conduct 8.5, provide that a lawyer admitted to practice in a jurisdiction is subject to the disciplinary authority of that jurisdiction, and may be subject to a choice of law analysis for certain situations.