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Lawyers licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction and lawyers licensed in a foreign jurisdiction who want to practice as house counsel must become licensed in Washington. They may seek licensing in Washington by motion under Washington Supreme Court Admission and Practice Rule (APR) 3(c) or as House Counsel under APR 8(f)).
House counsel applicants may continue to practice on a temporary basis under Washington Supreme Court Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) 5.5 pending the application for admission.
Washington Supreme Court (APR) 8(f) may be filed online at anytime. After one year, applicants must submit a new application and fee. Applicants may withdraw the application at any time subject to a $300 non-refundable administrative fee. Fees paid to the National Conference of Bar Examiners are also non-refundable.
Filing an Application for House Counsel
If you are not eligible for Admission by Motion, you can apply for limited admission as house counsel under APR 8(f). The application for House Counsel must be completed through the WSBA Online Admissions System. In addition to filing the application online, applicants must upload to the online application the following documents when complete, prior to submitting the application. These forms must be dated within six months prior to the date the application is submitted:
- One signed and notarized authorization and release form (do not alter this form);
- Two signed Good Moral Character Certificates;
- Certification of Applicant;
- Affidavit of Employer; and
- One Certificate of Good Standing from each jurisdiction in which you are or have ever been admitted to practice law as a lawyer.
Multi-jurisdictional Practice of Law
Ethical Practices of the Virtual or Hybrid Law Office - This opinion has been issued by the WSBA Committee on Professional Ethics and is advisory only.
RPC 5.5 also describes several situations in which it may be permissible to practice law in Washington on a temporary basis. Generally, the situations are limited to out-of-court practice. Under most situations, an out-of-state lawyer wanting to appear in court is going to be required to file a motion for admission Pro Hac Vice pursuant to APR 8(b). Please contact statuschanges@wsba.org for questions about Pro Hac Vice.
Out-of-state lawyers with questions about practicing temporarily practicing in Washington under RPC 5.5 should contact the WSBA Ethics Line at 206-727-8284. To inquire please leave a voicemail with your name, a phone number for a confidential return call, and a brief message. Calls are generally returned within one or two business days. Please read the complete rule and comments before making contact.
Lawyers who reside in Washington but are practicing law in another state should contact admissions@wsba.org for questions regarding seeking admission to practice law in Washington.
Please Note : All applicants are subject to a character and fitness review prior to being admitted to practice law in Washington. Factors considered by Admissions staff and Bar Counsel when determining whether an applicant should be referred to the Character and Fitness Board are set forth in Washington Supreme Court Admission and Practice Rules (APR) 20-24.2(a).
Any discrepancy or conflict between the information provided here and the rules and regulations set by the Washington Supreme Court, or the Bylaws and policies of the Washington State Bar Association, is unintentional and will be resolved in favor of strict compliance with the rules, regulations, Bylaws and policies.