7-102. Admission to bar; requirements; examinations; bar commission.

(1) Admission to the Nebraska bar shall be governed by admission standards and procedures established by rules adopted by the Supreme Court. Such standards may include, without limitation, educational requirements, character and fitness standards, and satisfactory performance on a bar examination testing the applicant's knowledge of such legal principles as the court may determine. No person shall be admitted to the Nebraska bar, nor permitted to retain such admittance, unless it is shown to the satisfaction of the Supreme Court that such person is of good moral character. The Supreme Court may appoint a bar commission, designated as the Nebraska State Bar Commission, composed of not less than six persons learned in the law to assist in or conduct any bar examination and, by rule of court, to assist the Supreme Court in matters pertaining to bar admission.

(2) The application for admission to the bar shall include the applicant's social security number. Each applicant shall submit to the bar commission with the application for admission a complete set of his or her legible fingerprints along with written permission authorizing the set of fingerprints to be forwarded to the Identification Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, through the Nebraska State Patrol. Upon request by the bar commission, the Nebraska State Patrol shall undertake a search for criminal history record information relating to the applicant, including transmittal of the applicant's fingerprints to the Identification Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history record information check. The criminal history record information check shall include information concerning the applicant from federal repositories of such information and repositories of such information in other states if authorized by federal law. The Nebraska State Patrol shall issue a report to the bar commission and to the applicant which includes the criminal history record information concerning the applicant. The fingerprint record check provided for in this subsection shall be solely for the purpose of evaluating and confirming information provided by the applicant for admission, except that if the applicant appeals a denial of admission to the bar or a refusal of permission to take the bar examination, the filing of such an appeal with the Supreme Court shall constitute a release of the information obtained from such a fingerprint record check for purposes of the appeal.

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Annotations

The Supreme Court has delegated administrative responsibility for bar admissions solely to the Nebraska State Bar Commission. In re Application of Ybarra, 279 Neb. 758, 781 N.W.2d 446 (2010).

The Nebraska Supreme Court is vested with the sole power to admit persons to the practice of law in this state and to fix qualifications for admission to the Nebraska bar. In re Application of Roseberry, 270 Neb. 508, 704 N.W.2d 229 (2005).

Misconduct of an attorney indicative of moral unfitness to practice law, although not committed in a professional relationship, justifies disbarment. State ex rel. Hunter v. Marconnit, 134 Neb. 898, 280 N.W. 216 (1938).

The Supreme Court has exclusive power to determine qualifications of persons who may be permitted to practice law. State ex rel. Hunter v. Kirk, 133 Neb. 625, 276 N.W. 380 (1937).

Supreme Court is vested with sole power to fix qualifications for admission to bar. State ex rel. Wright v. Barlow, 131 Neb. 294, 268 N.W. 95 (1936).

Good moral character is a requirement for admission to bar and to retention of license to practice. State ex rel. Sorensen v. Scoville, 123 Neb. 457, 243 N.W. 269 (1932).

Applicant must be of age when examined. Under former law study in office must have been in this state. Admission without examination applied only to graduates of designated colleges. In re Admission to the Bar, 61 Neb. 58, 84 N.W. 611 (1900).

In granting a license to practice law, it is implied in license that attorney will properly conduct himself. State ex rel. Attorney General v. Burr, 19 Neb. 593, 28 N.W. 261 (1886).