Temporary Attorney Admission

(a) Qualifications and Requirements. Attorneys who are a member of the bar of the highest judicial court of a state, district, or territory of the United States, and who meet the qualifications set forth in this rule, may seek temporary admission to the Rhode Island bar. (1) Attorneys who have previously failed the Rhode Island Bar Examination are not eligible for admission under this rule. (2) Attorneys who fail the Rhode Island Bar Examination while temporarily ad- mitted under this rule shall have their temporary admission immediately revoked. Page 2 of 21 Revised January 6, 2026 (3) Time spent practicing law pursuant to this rule shall not be used to satisfy the requirement of Rule 1A. (4) The conduct of attorneys admitted under this rule shall conform to the conduct expected of members of the bar of this Court, with all of its obligations, including Articles III (Disciplinary Procedures), IV (Periodic Registration of Attorneys and Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Regulations), and V (Rules of Professional Conduct) of these rules. (b) Programs providing legal services to indigents. Any attorney who is a mem- ber of the bar of the highest judicial court of a state, district, or territory of the United States who has been engaged in the full-time active practice of law for at least one (1) year and seeks to be admitted to practice before the courts of this state in cases in which the attorney is associated with an organized and Supreme Court approved program providing legal services to indigents may be temporarily admitted to prac- tice upon electronically filing with the Clerk of the Supreme Court the Petition for Temporary/Limited Admission to the Rhode Island Bar available on the Rhode Is- land Supreme Court Attorney Portal and after satisfying this Court that the attorney is a member in good standing of said court and the attorney is or will be associated with such a program. Approval by this Court may be granted to programs providing legal services to indigents which programs are either: (1) Funded in whole or in part by the federal government or by the Rhode Island Bar Foundation; (2) Sponsored by a law school accredited and approved by the American Bar Association; or (3) Sponsored by the office of the Rhode Island Public Defender. The petition shall be filed with a statement from the program administrator certi- fying the proposed placement of the attorney and that the proposed placement meets the requirements of this rule. Admission to practice under this subdivision shall cease to be effective whenever the attorney is no longer associated with such a program and in no event shall per- mission to practice under this subdivision remain in effect longer than two (2) years for any individual invoking its provision. (c) Admission while on active duty with the armed services – Temporary admis- sion of military spouse attorneys. (1) Member of the Armed Services. Any attorney who is a member of the bar of the highest judicial court of a state, district, or territory of the United States who is on active duty with any one of the armed services in the State of Rhode Island may be admitted to practice law in this state upon electroni- cally filing the Petition for Temporary/Limited Admission to the Rhode Island Bar available on the Rhode Island Supreme Court Attorney Portal and after satisfying this Court that the attorney is a member in good standing of said court. Admission under this subdivision is limited to representing in civil or criminal causes, junior Page 3 of 21 Revised January 6, 2026 non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel of such service who might not otherwise be able to afford proper legal assistance. The petition shall be filed with a statement from the senior legal officer on active duty with the division of armed services in the district for the State of Rhode Island certifying the proposed place- ment of the attorney and that the proposed placement meets the requirements of this rule. Admission to practice under this subdivision shall cease to be effective upon sep- aration from active duty in the armed services or transfer from Rhode Island. (2) Spouse of Member of the Armed Services. Any attorney who is a member of the bar of the highest judicial court of a state, district, or territory of the United States, who graduated from a law school accredited and approved by the American Bar Association, who has been engaged in the full-time active practice of law for at least one (1) year, and whose spouse is on active duty with any one of the armed services and is stationed in the State of Rhode Island, may be admitted to practice law in this state upon electronically filing the Petition for Temporary/ Limited Admission to the Rhode Island Bar available on the Rhode Island Supreme Court Attorney Portal. Admission under this rule shall terminate and the attorney shall cease the practice of law in Rhode Island three (3) years from the date of admission. The three (3) years shall be inclusive of any time admitted under Article II, Rules 2(b) - (e) and 9(b) of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Rules. Additionally, admission under this rule shall terminate sixty (60) days after any of the following events: (i) The spouse’s separation or retirement from the armed services; (ii) The spouse's transfer to another jurisdiction, unless the spouse's assignment specifies that the Department of Defense does not allow the attorney to accompany the service member, in which case the attorney upon petition to the Supreme Court may continue to practice law in Rhode Island as provided in this rule; (iii) The marriage terminates due to death or divorce; (iv) The attorney fails to meet the annual licensing requirements for an active attorney licensed to practice law in Rhode Island, including any and all continuing legal education requirements; (v) Upon the attorney’s written request; (vi) The attorney is admitted to practice law in Rhode Island under any other admission rule; or (vii) Upon notice by the Supreme Court at any time. (d) Judge Advocate Generals. Any attorney who is a member in good standing of the bar of the highest judicial court of a state, district, or territory of the United States who is on extended active duty with the Rhode Island National Guard or who is on duty as a member of the Rhode Island National Guard and assigned to a Judge Advocate General position may provide legal services pursuant to a legal assistance program established under 10 U.S.C. § 1044 and may appear before any court, Page 4 of 21 Revised January 6, 2026 tribunal, commission, board, department, or agency of the State of Rhode Island upon electronically filing the Petition for Temporary/Limited Admission to the Rhode Island Bar available on the Rhode Island Supreme Court Attorney Portal and after satisfying this Court that the attorney is a member in good standing of said court. Admission to practice under this subdivision is limited to representing the Rhode Island National Guard, its officers, members, and employees acting in their official capacities. The petition shall be filed with a statement from the State Judge Advocate of the Rhode Island National Guard certifying placement of the attorney and that the proposed placement meets the requirements of this rule. Admission to practice under this subdivision shall cease to be effective immedi- ately upon separation from the Rhode Island National Guard. (e) Law school faculty supervising clinical law programs. Any attorney who is a member in good standing of the bar of the highest judicial court of a state, district, or territory of the United States who is employed as a full-time permanent or full- time visiting faculty member of a law school accredited and approved by the Amer- ican Bar Association may be admitted to practice law in this state upon electronically filing the Petition for Temporary/Limited Admission to the Rhode Island Bar avail- able on the Rhode Island Supreme Court Attorney Portal and after satisfying this Court that the attorney is a member in good standing of said Court. Admission to practice under this subdivision is solely for the purpose of supervising clinical law students in a clinical law program providing legal services to indigent clients. The petition shall be filed with a statement from the dean of the law school certifying the proposed placement of the attorney and that the proposed placement meets the re- quirements of this rule. Admission to practice under this subdivision shall cease to be effective when the attorney is no longer a full-time faculty member or is no longer associated with a clinical law program. An attorney admitted under this subdivision shall neither ask for nor receive any compensation or remuneration of any kind for services rendered under this rule other than salary as a law school faculty member. (f) Temporary Practice Pending Attorney Admission. Any attorney who is a member of the bar of the highest judicial court of a state, district, or territory of the United States who has applied for admission under Rule 1A may practice law out of an office in this state for a period of one year from filing a Rule 1A petition for admission with the Court subject to the requirements in this rule. The out-of-state attorney must be in good standing in all jurisdictions and shall not have been dis- barred or resigned with disciplinary matters pending in any jurisdiction or have pre- viously applied for admission under Rule 1A. Attorneys practicing under this rule shall be supervised by a designated active member of the Rhode Island bar working full-time at the same Rhode Island office and shall clearly state in all advertisements Page 5 of 21 Revised January 6, 2026 and written communications related to their practice of law that their practice here is pending admission under this rule. All court pleadings must be signed by the supervising attorney. Any attorney seeking to practice pursuant to this subsection shall advise the Court by filing a notice of intention to practice pending admission on the Rhode Island Supreme Court Attorney Portal (RISCAP) as a formal amendment to the attorney’s pending petition for admission to the Rhode Island Bar. The notice shall identify the active member of the Rhode Island bar who will be the supervising attorney and shall be filed on a form that is prescribed by the Clerk. The attorney shall not engage in the practice of law in the state until this filing has been accepted and the Clerk’s Office has issued the attorney a bar number. For purposes of this rule, an “office” is a private law firm located in Rhode Island with at least five (5) attorneys actively practicing in the state on behalf of the firm, or the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General. Attorneys seeking to prac- tice law pending admission at an office with fewer than five (5) attorneys, or seeking to practice law for a state or municipal entity other than the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General, shall petition the Court for an exception to this rule setting forth sufficient information for the Court to conclude that the attorney will be ade- quately supervised. Any attorney engaged in the private practice of law, who is practicing pursuant to this rule, must be covered by professional liability insurance. In no event shall permission to practice under this subdivision remain in effect longer than one (1) year from the filing of the Rule 1A petition for admission.