must have been admitted to practice in the highest US Court of a State, Commonwealth, Territory or Possession, or the District of Columbia for at least three years immediately before the date of application
must not have been the subject of any adverse disciplinary action pronounced or in effect during that three-year period
must appear to the Court to be of good moral and professional character.
Instructions
To apply, please complete all steps in this application guide:
Submit the online Form of Intent to reserve your place. The deadline for submitting a 2024 Form of Intent has passed. More information about the 2025 HLS United States SCOTUS Swearing in Ceremony will be released in Summer 2024.
Complete and mail your completed SCOTUS Bar Application and Certificate of Good Standing within the deadline stated in your confirmation email following reserving your place. The confirmation email is from HLS Alumni Relations (alumnirelations@law.harvard.edu).
Mail your completed materials to: Harvard Law School Alumni Center Attention: Meagan Flint 1563 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138
Following receipt, the HLS Alumni Relations Office will confirm acceptance of your materials, submit them to the Court on your behalf, and provide additional information on the event.
Sample Application
General Information
Data on the front page of the application must be entered electronically. Handwritten data will not be accepted. Please do not use all caps.
The back page of the application may be filled out electronically or handwritten (if legible).
The application can be printed double-sided and MUST contain the QR code.
The QR code on the SCOTUS Bar Application is required, with no exceptions. The QR code is embedded in the form in the bottom right corner of the first and second pages and will expand as data is entered. The latest Adobe Reader 7.0.5 software must be used when downloading the application.
Open the application from your desktop in Adobe Reader. Please note: if the file opens in your web browser, the QR code will not expand, and the court will not accept your application.
Complete all fillable text boxes (in blue) in Adobe. As you fill in the text boxes, the QR codes at the bottom of each page will expand.
Save the file once all fields except signatures have been completed.
The application is now ready for signatures. Scanned and inked signatures are both permitted by the court.
Application Front Page
Be sure to write your name, city, and state on the application as you wish it to be listed on your Certificate, as that is how it will be recorded onto the official Court record and cannot be altered.
A positive response to Questions 12 (a)(b)(c)(d) requires additional documentation. Please submit this documentation when submitting your completed application to the HLS Alumni Relations Office.
Application Back Page
Enter your First Name and Last Name on the top of the back page electronically.
The applicant signature for certification may be inked or scanned.
Statement of Sponsors must be completed electronically.
Sponsor signatures may be inked or scanned.
The office addresses for the sponsors must be completed electronically.
Applicant signature for the Oath of Admission section may be inked or scanned.
Leave the motion for admission section blank, as our group will participate in open court.
Application Questions
What if I am not practicing or am currently inactive in my Bar?
Inactivity does not preclude participation.
If I have already been admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar via written motion, may I apply again to be admitted in open Court?
No. You may only join the Supreme Court Bar of the United States once.
The QR code on the bottom right corner of the application must be present on both sides of the form when you print it. The latest Adobe Reader 7.0.5 software must be used when downloading the application.
Open the application from your desktop in Adobe Reader. Please note: if the file opens in your web browser, the QR code will not expand, and the court will not accept your application.
Complete all fillable text boxes (in blue) in Adobe. As you fill in the text boxes, the QR codes at the bottom of each page will expand.
Save the file once all fields except signatures have been completed.
The application is now ready for signatures. Scanned and inked signatures are both permitted by the court.
How do I download the SCOTUS Bar Application?
Open the SCOTUS Bar Application via the link provided in your confirmation email, or open from here. Download or Save the PDF from your browser to your desktop. Do not complete the form in your web browser.
What should my completed application look like?
View a Sample Application. Once you complete your application, your application QR codes should be of similar size to the Sample Application.
My legal name is [formal name], but I want my Bar certificate to include my nickname. Is that allowed?
Yes. You must put your preferred name in the first box on the first page of the application. Your choice may include nicknames, married names, maiden names, etc. However, once the application is submitted to the Court, it is recorded and may not be altered.
May my preferred city/state (question 1) differ from the state where I obtained a Certificate of Good Standing?
Yes.
The first section of the application has a check box if I want the “alternate certificate described in the institutions.” What does that mean?
The standard certificate evidencing admission contains the following words “In the year of the Lord, two thousand…” An alternative certificate omits the underlined words.
What if I am a member of Bars in multiple states?
You only need one Certificate of Good Standing from the highest state court. You may choose which certificate to obtain, but note that you must have been a member of that state/commonwealth/territory/possession/the District of Columbia Bar for at least three years.
How do I obtain a Certificate of Good Standing?
Your Certificate of Good Standing must come from the highest state court, and it varies by state/commonwealth/territory/possession/the District of Columbia.
Do not submit a Bar Association Certificate instead of the clerk’s certificate. The only exceptions are for the District of Columbia Court of Appeals (DC Bar) and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Division.
Electronic/digital certificates with visible seals will be accepted, though the Admissions Offices recommends obtaining and submitting the original paper certificate.
By when must the application/Certificate of Good Standing be dated?
All paperwork must be dated within one year before the Swearing In Ceremony. This includes Certificates of Good Standing and signatures of application sponsors.
May I apply if I am a licensed attorney in a country other than the United States?
No. You must be barred in a U.S. state/commonwealth/territory/possession/the District of Columbia or have reciprocity with a state bar.
Is attending the ceremony mandatory for admission into the U.S. Supreme Court Bar?
If you are applying for admission to the Bar with HLS, you will be registering for the entire event and be present in Washington, D.C., for the ceremony. However, if you are uninterested in the ceremony, you can apply independently to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar. Directions for applying on your own can be found here.
Who can be my sponsor?
Any attorney who is a U.S. Supreme Court Bar member but is not related to the applicant by blood and marriage (this includes mother/father, aunt/uncle, sister/brother, mother-in-law/father-in-law).
They do not need to be fellow Harvard Law School alumni.
Retired attorneys are permitted to sign as a sponsor if they are still a U.S. Supreme Court bar member.
What if I need to find two people who can sponsor me?
No, your sponsors do not have to be present – unless you want them to be your guest. Existing members of the SCOTUS Bar may be able to attend through special access to a SCOTUS Bar member-only section of the courtroom. Existing Bar members should contact the SCOTUS Admissions Office to confirm the availability of this benefit.
What if I want someone I know to sign as my movant?
You would need to be admitted in a separate motion at the Court or by written motion in absentia. In either case, you could not participate with the HLS alumni group in the Swearing In Ceremony.
Fee Questions
What does the $200 fee cover?
The $200 application fee is payable to the U.S. Supreme Court to process the Bar Admission application. This fee will be collected in your online registration form through the HLS Alumni Relations Office. No additional fees are associated with this program.
Are there recurring dues to be a U.S. Supreme Court Bar member?
No. Admission is perpetual.
Event Questions
What if something comes up and I can no longer attend the ceremony?
If you can no longer attend, immediately alert the HLS Alumni Relations Office. The HLS Alumni Relations Office will notify the Court of your inability to participate in person with the HLS alumni group and how you plan to proceed with admission. Participants must choose how to proceed:
A) Proceed via written motion with the HLS alumni group; no further action is needed.
B) Apply independently of the HLS alumni group as an individual. The HLS Alumni Relations Office will mail back your completed application and issue a refund ($200 application fee paid in the registration form). Additional details are here.
The HLS Alumni Relations Office can only issue refunds or return applications if notified of cancelation before March 1, 2024. Should an applicant not be able to attend and alert the HLS Alumni Relations Office after March 2024, option A will be exercised for the applicant.
Is there parking at the U.S. Supreme Court?
No. We recommend that you take alternative transportation to the Court. The nearest public parking is the Union Station Parking Garage (50 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, D.C., ~ half-mile away).
Is there a dress code for the courtroom?
Yes, for the HLS alumni applicants, business attire is required.
For men: Required to wear a tie.
For women: Women must wear a blouse with a blazer. Blazers are not required with a shoulder-covered dress.
No scarves, pins, or hats should be worn in the courtroom.
There is no dress code required for guests.
How many guests can I bring?
Per Court rules, each person being sworn into the U.S. Supreme Court Bar is allowed one guest who can sit and witness the Swearing In Ceremony in the main courtroom. The guest policy is set and at the discretion of the Court. Should guest policies change, the HLS Alumni Relations Office will notify applicants.
Are there age restrictions on my guest?
Yes. No guest under the age of six may attend the Swearing In Ceremony in the main courtroom.
May my guest arrive at a later time, closer to the start of the Swearing In Ceremony?
No, all HLS alumni applicants and their guests must arrive together at the designated time provided by the HLS Alumni Relations Office.
Will there be security checks in the U.S. Supreme Court building?
Yes. Be prepared to go through multiple security screenings upon entering the building and the main courtroom. The HLS alumni participants and guests will move through these screenings together.
May I bring personal items to the U.S. Supreme Court building?
You may bring personal items into the building, but all items must be checked into a private locker before entering our breakfast reception room and the main courtroom. Electronic devices are allowed in the building but must be checked into a private locker. Bringing bags at most 12 inches x 12 inches is advised to ensure items fit into the locker.
When will I be able to get my personal items from the locker?
Following the Swearing In Ceremony, the HLS alumni applicants and guests will depart the main courtroom and return to the lockers to retrieve personal items before exiting the building.
May I or a guest record the ceremony?
No, taking a camera, cell phone, tablet, smartwatch, laptop, etc. (anything with a recording function) is prohibited in the main courtroom. However, electronics are allowed in the building but must be placed into your private locker before breakfast in the reception room.
The HLS Alumni Relations Office will provide a photographer to capture images before and after the ceremony on the event day.
What is the schedule for the day of the Swearing In Ceremony?
The HLS Alumni Relations Office will provide a detailed briefing before the event to prepare you and your guest for the day’s activities. Arrival/departure time and location, details on breakfast at the Court, ceremony expectations, and obtaining your SCOTUS Bar Certificate of Membership will be communicated in that briefing. All event details are subject to change by the SCOTUS and its Admissions Office.
