C.R.C.P. 203.6 - Supervised Admission to Colorado Pilot Program

C.R.C.P. 203.6 - Supervised Admission to Colorado Based on UBE Score and
Qualifying Governmental Service and Nonprofit Legal Service

On October 8, 2026, the Colorado Supreme Court adopted C.R.C.P. 203.6 for a Supervised Admission Pilot Program. Under the Rule, an applicant who has taken the Uniform Bar Exam and achieves a score that is passing in another U.S. jurisdiction but does not achieve a passing score for Colorado may be eligible for Supervised Admission to work for a Colorado Public Defenders office, District Attorney’s office, or for Colorado Legal Services.

The Rule is effective October 12, 2026, and would apply to examinees from the July 2025 bar exam administration forward. Colorado bar exam applicants as well as UBE Score Transfer applicants are eligible to apply. The Pilot Program will sunset on July 1, 2029, unless extended by the Court. See Rule Change 2026(15).

ELIGIBLITY: To qualify for this license, applicants must:

Be otherwise eligible for admission under C.R.C.P. 203.3 (UBE Score Transfer) or C.R.C.P. 203.4 (Colorado bar exam) but for achieving a passing score for admission in Colorado,
Achieve a UBE score that qualifies for admission in another United States jurisdiction, having earned that qualifying score on an exam administered within 18 months of applying under the Rule,
Secure qualifying employment and commit to practice under the supervision of a Colorado attorney for a minimum of two years, and
Meet all other requirements for admission to practice law in Colorado, including passing the MPRE, completing the Mandatory Professionalism Course, and meeting character and fitness requirements.

Any applicant who has been denied admission in another U.S. jurisdiction due to character and fitness is not eligible for this admission pathway.

Applicants who are admitted in another U.S. jurisdiction must be in good standing, cannot be currently subject to attorney discipline, or the subject of a pending disciplinary matter.

HOW TO APPLY: Interested candidates should ensure they meet all eligibility requirements before submitting a Supervised Practice Application.

STEP ONE: Submit an Application for Admission to Colorado via Bar Exam or UBE Score Transfer

Colorado Bar Exam Applicants: You do not need to resubmit a new exam application nor pay any additional fees. Note that you must still meet all the eligibility requirements for admission to be cleared to take the Oath of Admission to practice under this rule. Please log into your exam application to ensure you have completed all requirements: character and fitness, MPRE, and the Mandatory Professionalism Course and follow-up with your licensure analyst if you have any questions. If your application is not current (more than 90 days old), you must update your application regarding changes to any of the answers in your application.

UBE Score Transfer Applicants: You must submit a UBE Score Transfer Application, pay the applicable filing fee, and meet all the eligibility requirements under C.R.C.P. 203.3. Note that pursuant to Rule 203.6(2), you must complete the Mandatory Professionalism Course prior to being cleared to take the Oath of Admission. You must submit a score transfer request to NCBE for your MPRE and UBE scores to be sent to Colorado.

STEP TWO: Complete and Submit a Supervised Practice Application and Proof of Employment or Employment Offer

Complete the online Supervised Practice Application.

Proof of employment or an offer of employment under this program by a qualifying employer is required as part of the application. The proof can be an offer letter or email which describes your current or prospective employment status/start date and the name of the supervising attorney.

All applicants under this rule MUST be currently employed or within 91 days of admission under this Rule will be employed full-time by one of the following qualifying organizations to engage in the active practice of law: the Colorado Office of the Public Defender; a district attorney’s office in the state of Colorado; or Colorado Legal Services.

STEP THREE: Supervising Attorney Certification

Under this Rule, the applicant must work under the supervision of an attorney who is authorized to practice law in Colorado, is in good standing in all jurisdictions of licensure, and has no disciplinary history in any jurisdiction of licensure. The supervising attorney must work for or on behalf of the qualifying organization.

The supervising attorney must execute and file with OAA, before the applicant begins practicing law under this Rule, a certification within 14 days of the commencement of the supervisory relationship that:

the supervisory attorney agrees to all supervisory responsibilities under the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct, including reasonable efforts to ensure the competency and diligence of the applicant’s practice of law;
the supervisory attorney confirms that the qualifying organization has acknowledged its notification obligations under this Rule, specifically that the employer will notify the Office of Attorney Admissions within 14 days of the date an applicant ceases to be employed or has a change of status that precludes the applicant from being eligible under this Rule or engaged in the active practice of law; and,
if a supervisory attorney ceases to serve in that capacity for any reason, the qualifying organization designates a successor supervisory attorney meeting the requirements in the Rule and that the new supervisory attorney files a new certification with OAA within 21 days.

If you HAVE secured qualifying employment, your supervising attorney will need execute the Supervising Attorney Certification. Once your supervising attorney completes and signs the Certification, please email it to bleinfo@csc.state.co.us.

Continuation of Student Practice under C.R.C.P. 205.7

Bar exam applicants who still qualify for and have been working under C.R.C.P. 205.7 should continue to do so until they take the Oath of Admission.
UBE Score Transfer applicants will need to consider whether than can start their employment under the student practice rule until their UBE Score Transfer application and character & fitness has been processed. If you are unsure, applicants should discuss this option with their prospective employer.

STEP FOUR: Taking the Oath of Admission

Bar Exam Applicants: Since you already have an application in process with OAA, your application process is much easier since character and fitness has already been in progress. Again, follow-up with your licensure analyst if you have any outstanding deficiency notices in your application. Once the licensure analyst clears you for admission and you have meet all the documentary requirements under this Rule, OAA will issue you a Clearance Letter to Take the Oath of Admission.

UBE Score Transfer Applicants: You should submit your UBE Score Transfer Application immediately, as OAA cannot proceed with your application for supervised practice without a submitted UBE Score Transfer Application. By submitting your Supervised Practice Application, OAA has notice to place your UBE Score Transfer Application in a different queue for processing.

Licensure Obligations: Once an applicant under this Rule takes the Oath of Admission, the individual is a licensed attorney in Colorado with restrictions on the attorney’s authority to practice law pursuant to the Rule.

Annual Attorney Registration: The attorney must meet the registration obligations under C.R.C.P. 227 in order to maintain the attorney’s license and authority to practice.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE): An attorney admitted under this Rule must meet CLE obligations under C.R.C.P. 250 et seq. in order to maintain the attorney’s license and authority to practice.
Professional Conduct: An attorney admitted under this Rule is subject to the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct and C.R.C.P. 241-243 (Rules Governing Lawyer Discipline and Disability Proceedings).

STEP FIVE: Two-Year Supervision and Transition to Unrestricted Admission Status

Employment Term: An attorney admitted under this Rule must, within three years after the date of admission, complete an aggregate of two years of employment in which the attorney is actively engaged in the authorized practice of law working for one or more qualifying organizations of the Rule.

Periods of leave or interruptions in continuous employment that when aggregated amount to more than 28 days during each 12-month period, as calculated from the start date of first employment under this Rule, do not count toward the years of employment required by the Rule.

Transition to Unrestricted Practice:

Applicant Affidavit: In order for an attorney admitted under this Rule to transition to unrestricted authority to practice law in Colorado, within 56 days after completion of two aggregate years of qualifying employment under this Rule, the attorney must submit an affidavit to OAA in the form provided by OAA detailing satisfaction of the employment requirements of this Rule.
Supervising Attorney/Employer Certification: The affidavit must be accompanied by a certification from each supervisory attorney, or from a knowledgeable senior official within the attorney’s qualifying organization, confirming the periods of qualifying employment and supervision.
Timing: Failure to timely submit such an affidavit may result in the revocation of authority to practice law in Colorado.

Practice Restriction: An attorney admitted under this Rule may not practice law outside of the employment for one of the qualifying organizations until the attorney has submitted the required affidavit and supervisor/employer certifications, and have received notice from OAA that they have been approved to move to an unrestricted practice.

Revocation of Supervised Admission and Termination of Authority to Practice:

Admission under this Rule will be automatically suspended on an interim basis if the attorney has been admitted under this Rule for three years without demonstrating completion of the two years of qualifying employment.
Such attorneys will have 28 days from the date of suspension to cure any deficiencies.
After 28 days from the date of suspension, if such suspension is not cured admission under this Rule will be automatically revoked.
Attorneys subject to such revocation are no longer authorized to practice law in Colorado, and they will be deemed to have resigned their license and will be ineligible for readmission under this Rule.
Such attorneys may petition under C.R.C.P. 206 for an extension of time to complete their qualifying employment or may apply for admission under C.R.C.P. 203.3 or C.R.C.P. 203.4.