The primary purpose of the character and fitness screening before admission to The Florida Bar is to protect the public and safeguard the judicial system.
Library Director Colleen Skinner is a Notary and is available by appointment only. Email CSkinne4@ju.edu for availability.
Mailing Address:
U.S. Postal Service:
1891 Eider Court
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1750
FedEx, Priority USPS, or other delivery service:
1891 Eider Court
Tallahassee, FL 32308-4537
Note the different zip code
Telephone Number: (850) 487-1292
Calls are answered Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST.
The Florida Board of Bar Examiners now requires all applicants to be fingerprinted electronically by IdentoGO by IDEMIA. There are 69 locations across the State of Florida.
Information on this guide was borrowed with permission from Florida International University's Law Library.
The Florida Board of Bar Examiners requires all persons seeking admission to the Florida Bar to prove their Character and Fitness. This process involves completing a lengthy online application with supporting documentation, answering all questions accurately and honestly.
The application questions are addressed individually in this guide. Some resources will answer more than one question. It is up to you to do the research necessary to provide the Florida Board of Bar Examiners your accurate answers to the application questions.
Remember, the most important thing is to be candid in your application and keep a detailed record of where you searched, when you searched and who you spoke to in case you cannot find the information and the Bar Examiners ask you about it later.
If you are not planning to apply to the Bar in Florida, but to another state, you should be aware that some states require first-year law students to register with their State Bar or Board of Examiners. Regardless of the requirements, applying while a 1L may provide a discount in the application fee. It also averts delays that inevitably crop up during the state Bar's investigative process.
If this applies to you, the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) provides these two related resources:
Supporting Forms
The forms listed below are available in PDF format for printing as needed.
As part of the bar exam application, the state bar will investigate your background to basically see if you have been a good person. Just because you were admitted into law school doesn't mean the state bar has to admit you into legal practice. It is up to you to prove to the state bar that you possess the requisite character and fitness to be a member of the bar. The Character and Fitness process goes approximately like this: The Florida Board of Bar Examiners: The Use of and Rehabilitation at Formal Hearings (Florida Bar Journal 2000)