House Counsel License (Rule 10)
Under Rule 10 of the Rules for Admission to the Bar, a lawyer licensed in another jurisdiction who accepts employment as house counsel in Minnesota may apply for a limited house counsel license.
Requirements
You must meet the following minimum requirements to apply under Rule 10:
- Meet the Educational Requirements outlined in Rule 4A(3).
- Provide evidence of having engaged in the practice of law as defined in Rule 7A in at least 36 months of the 60 months immediately preceding the application
- Provide an affidavit from an officer, director, or general counsel of your employer attesting to the following:
- Your date of employment
- Verification that you are employed as house counsel solely for that employer
- Verification that you are a person of good character
- Verification that the nature of the employment meets the requirements of Rule 10B(1)
- Be licensed to practice law in another state or jurisdiction
- Be in good standing in each jurisdiction in which you are licensed to practice law
- Receive a good character and fitness recommendation from the Minnesota Board of Law Examiners
- Meet Rule 4 General Requirements for Admission
- Provide required documents from each jurisdiction in which you are licensed to practice law, as required by Rule 4D
See Rule 10 for additional guidance.
Limitations
- Your house counsel license is limited to the representation of your employer (see Rule 10D for pro bono exception)
- Your house counsel license expires upon the termination of your employment with the corporation at which you were employed when you were granted a Rule 10 license
Apply
To apply you must:
1. Register using the online Minnesota Bar Application Registration form, and
2. Complete and send in a signed Minnesota Bar Application along with proper fees and any supplemental information required by the application.
Click here to begin the application process.
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