FAQ for Newly Admitted Attorneys
Congratulations on your admission to the practice of law in Ohio! The following FAQ will provide general information about attorney registration requirements for newly admitted attorneys.
- Am I required to register with the Office of Attorney Services?
- When may I register as an attorney?
- How do I register with the Office of Attorney Services?
- May I file my Certificate of Registration by fax or as an e-mail attachment?
- What is the difference between active and inactive registration?
- If I register for inactive status, can I later change to active status?
- What is the deadline for filing the registration materials?
- The Certificate of Registration requests information regarding Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) and Interest on Trust Accounts (IOTA). What is that?
- When will I receive my attorney registration card and confirmation of my registration?
- When will I be required to register again?
- To whom do I report a change of address?
- To whom do I report a name change?
- How do I obtain a certificate of good standing?
- Where do I find information regarding the New Lawyers Training Program and the Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program?
- Where do I go if I have additional questions?
Am I required to register with the Office of Attorney Services?
Yes. All newly-admitted attorneys are required to file a Certificate of Registration and pay the applicable registration fee.
When may I register as an attorney?
You must file your Certificate of Registration with the Office of Attorney Services after you have been sworn in as an attorney. After taking your oath of office, the Bar Admissions Office will provide you with registration materials. Included with these materials are a New Attorney Registration letter, Certificate of Registration, and a return envelope. Do not request these materials prior to taking your oath of office.
How do I register with the Office of Attorney Services?
Pursuant to Gov. Bar R. VI, Sec. 1(B), attorneys admitted to the practice of law in Ohio are required to file a Certificate of Registration within 30 days of the date of admission and, if registering for active status, also pay the appropriate registration fee. Attorneys registering for inactive status are not required to pay a registration fee, but are nevertheless required to file a Certificate of Registration within 30 days of the date of admission. Attorneys who do not file their registration and pay all applicable fees by the deadline will be assessed a $50 late fee and may be subject to suspension from the practice of law.
Attorneys may file their Certificate of Registration either by mail or electronically.
To register by mail, complete your Certificate of Registration and return it to the Supreme Court of Ohio, Office of Attorney Services, 65 South Front Street, 5th Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215. Be sure to include your registration fee if you are registering for active status.
To register electronically, you will need your applicant number and password, both of which are included in your new attorney registration materials. You will be required to pay your registration fees by credit card (VISA or MasterCard only). For further instructions on using online registration, please refer to your new attorney registration materials or contact us at 614.387.9320.
May I file my Certificate of Registration by fax or as an e-mail attachment?
No, we will not accept registrations by fax or as an e-mail attachment.
What is the difference between active and inactive registration?
Inactive attorneys may not engage in the practice of law until such time as they change their status to active. Specifically, an inactive attorney may not:
- Practice law in the state of Ohio
- Hold himself or herself out as authorized to practice law in Ohio
- Hold nonfederal judicial office in Ohio
- Occupy a nonfederal position in Ohio in which the attorney is called upon to give legal advice or counsel or to examine the law or pass upon the legal effect of any act, document, or law
- Be employed in the Ohio judicial system in a position required to be held by an attorney
- Practice before any nonfederal court or agency in Ohio on behalf of any person except himself or herself
If I register for inactive status, can I later change to active status?
Yes. If you wish to change your registration status, all you need to do is complete a new Certificate of Registration and pay any applicable registration fees. If you change your registration status, be sure to contact the Commission on Continuing Legal Education to determine your New Lawyers Training and continuing legal education requirement.
What is the deadline for filing the registration materials?
Your registration materials must be submitted within 30 days of the date of admission. If you do not file your registration and pay all applicable fees by the deadline, you will be assessed a $50 late fee and may be subject to suspension from the practice of law.
The Certificate of Registration requests information regarding Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) and Interest on Trust Accounts (IOTA). What is that?
As an attorney, you are required to identify each escrow/trust account in which the funds of two or more clients or third parties have been deposited by you, your law firm, or an ancillary business related to the practice of law in which you are a principal. As part of your registration, you are asked to provide information regarding Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts (IOLTA) and Interest on Trust Accounts (IOTA). The information you provide relating to your accounts and any applicable exemptions will be forwarded to the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation and will not be maintained by the Office of Attorney Services.
If you need help completing the IOLTA/IOTA portion of the Certificate of Registration, please contact the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation at 614.752.8919 or at www.olaf.org.
When will I receive my attorney registration card and confirmation of my registration?
Approximately 10 days after you file your Certificate of Registration, you will receive your attorney registration card, which will contain your attorney registration number. If you are registering for inactive status, you will not receive an attorney registration card, but you will receive written confirmation of your registration and your attorney registration number.
Your attorney registration number will stay the same for as long as you are admitted to practice law in Ohio. Courts and other entities may require you to use your attorney registration number and show your attorney registration card for identification purposes. You will also use your registration number when requesting credit for attending new lawyers training programs and continuing legal education courses.
When will I be required to register again?
Attorneys authorized to practice law in Ohio are required to register on or before September first of every odd-numbered year. Registration materials are mailed in July of each registration year. If you do not receive your registration materials contact us immediately.
To whom do I report a change of address?
If you have already been sworn in to the practice of law in Ohio, you must notify the Office of Attorney Services of any change of address (residence and business) and other registration information. You may use the Change of Information and Replacement Card Form at www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/AttySvcs/AttyReg/changeinfo.asp to notify us of any changes or you may make the changes online.
If you have not yet been sworn in, you should contact the Office of Bar Admissions at 614.387.9340 with any change of address or other information.
To whom do I report a name change?
If you have already been sworn in to the practice of law in Ohio, you must notify the Office of Attorney Services of your name change. You may use the Change of Information and Replacement Card Form at www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/AttySvcs/AttyReg/changeinfo.asp to provide this notification.
If you have not yet been sworn in, you should contact the Office of Bar Admissions at 614.387.9340 with your name change.
How do I obtain a certificate of good standing?
Once you have been admitted to the practice of law and your registration has been processed by the Office of Attorney Services, you may request a certificate of good standing. For additional information regarding certificates of good standing, please go to www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/AttySvcs/AttyReg/verification/goodstanding.asp.
Where do I find information regarding the New Lawyers Training Program and the Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program?
Please visit www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/AttySvcs/CLE/nlt/default.asp for information regarding New Lawyers Training and the Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program.
Where do I go if I have additional questions?
- Attorney Registration, please contact the Office of Attorney Services at attyreg@sc.ohio.gov, or visit the Web site at www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/AttySvcs/AttyReg/.
- New Lawyers Training, please contact the Commission on Continuing Legal Education at ccle@sc.ohio.gov, or visit the Web site at www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/AttySvcs/CLE/.
- Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program, please visit the Commission on Professionalism's Web site at www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/Boards/CP/.
- Swearing In Ceremony for new attorneys, please contact the Office of Bar Admissions at Admissions@sc.ohio.gov, or visit the Web site the www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/AttySvcs/admissions/.
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