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Esquired
As of Friday, October 8th, I am officially licensed to practice law in the state of Vermont. \o/
I retook the MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam--basically the professional ethics exam) in August. Almost all states require this exam in addition to the bar, though thankfully this exam is much less strenuous. I was notified last month that my results had been passing and that the character and fitness board had approved my application (they're the lovely folks who review all that detailed background info provided during the bar exam application process), and that I was accepted for admittance to the Vermont bar. I then had 90 days to complete the licensing paperwork, pay the appropriate fees, and take the required oath. I was able to get the clerk of the Supreme Court to administer the Oath on Thursday (and get my questions about the licensing paperwork answered), and dropped off my completed paperwork and check with the licensing office. Got my official license yesterday. So I can now legally practice law in Vermont! I'll have to complete the various required CLEs (continuing legal education) and Mentorship requirements (40 hours of various supervised activities with an established member of the bar who has signed up to be a mentor), but I have two years to complete those requirements.
Not sure what my next steps are going to be, but I am considering opening a small solo practice focusing on disability law (and maybe some estate planning and elder law). As stressful as opening my own practice would be, it would also give me a flexibility of hours that I might not get working for someone else. But I have to get around my rather large insecurities and fears to get it going. I felt a bit better after running into a friend and fellow Vermont Law alum who is opening her own practice (hers will be focused on Food and Ag law). She brilliantly pointed out that we are all just making it up as we go and none of us really feel like we know what we're doing, even those who have been out in the field for a while can feel that way. So we shall see.
I retook the MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam--basically the professional ethics exam) in August. Almost all states require this exam in addition to the bar, though thankfully this exam is much less strenuous. I was notified last month that my results had been passing and that the character and fitness board had approved my application (they're the lovely folks who review all that detailed background info provided during the bar exam application process), and that I was accepted for admittance to the Vermont bar. I then had 90 days to complete the licensing paperwork, pay the appropriate fees, and take the required oath. I was able to get the clerk of the Supreme Court to administer the Oath on Thursday (and get my questions about the licensing paperwork answered), and dropped off my completed paperwork and check with the licensing office. Got my official license yesterday. So I can now legally practice law in Vermont! I'll have to complete the various required CLEs (continuing legal education) and Mentorship requirements (40 hours of various supervised activities with an established member of the bar who has signed up to be a mentor), but I have two years to complete those requirements.
Not sure what my next steps are going to be, but I am considering opening a small solo practice focusing on disability law (and maybe some estate planning and elder law). As stressful as opening my own practice would be, it would also give me a flexibility of hours that I might not get working for someone else. But I have to get around my rather large insecurities and fears to get it going. I felt a bit better after running into a friend and fellow Vermont Law alum who is opening her own practice (hers will be focused on Food and Ag law). She brilliantly pointed out that we are all just making it up as we go and none of us really feel like we know what we're doing, even those who have been out in the field for a while can feel that way. So we shall see.