Colorado Supreme Court

Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel

Promoting Professionalism. Protecting the Public.

New Admissions System Streamlines Process

Navigating the character and fitness review has become easier.

Spring 2014

Applying for a license to practice law has become a little easier in the state of Colorado.

Over the past two years, the Office of Attorney Admissions has been working to streamline the entire application system by revising the information requested of applicants, moving the process online and increasing the number of staff dedicated to the character and fitness process. The goal is to expedite and improve upon the character and fitness review.

It’s just one move by the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, which oversees the admissions office, to improve the attorney regulation process. The attorney registration and continuing legal education systems have also gone online, reducing staff time and increasing user-friendliness for attorneys.

Those who took the February 2014 bar exam were the first to utilize the new web-based application management system. Under the new system, applicants who answers “yes” to a question about their past conduct are directed to an online form with specific questions about that conduct or incident. For instance, an applicant who says he or she has been involved in a civil court proceeding, will be directed to a form seeking information such as the nature of the case, the names of those involved and the final disposition.

Under the old system, an applicant giving an affirmative answer to a question about past conduct was simply asked to explain. The new process removes the mystery of what applicants should share. It ensures that the office gathers the information it needs and that the applicant doesn’t waste time delivering unnecessary details.

The new system also allows applicants to review on their online portal what forms they still need to submit. And if they have any questions, they can message one of the staff dedicated solely to the character and fitness process.

As always, the changes were undertaken with the office’s primary goal in mind — to protect the public by ensuring applicants for the bar have the proper moral and ethical standards to practice law.