(a) Each applicant who shall be recommended for admission to the bar, except under subsection (c), shall present himself or herself to the Superior Court, or to either the Supreme Court or the Appellate Court sitting as the Superior Court, at such place and at such time as shall be prescribed by the bar examining committee, or shall be prescribed by the Supreme Court or the Appellate Court, and such court may then, upon motion, admit such person as an attorney. The director shall give notice to each clerk of the names of the newly admitted attorneys. At the time such applicant is admitted as an attorney, the applicant shall be sworn as a Commissioner of the Superior Court.
Section 2-10.Admission by Superior Court; Admission in Absentia
Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceSets out how the Superior Court admits attorneys recommended by the bar examining committee, including how the presiding judge may address new admittees and how a candidate can be sworn in and admitted in absentia rather than appearing in person.
Full Text of Section 2-10
(b) The administrative judge of said judicial district or a designee or the chief justice of the Supreme Court or a designee or the chief judge of the Appellate Court or a designee may deliver an address to the applicants so admitted respecting their duties and responsibilities as attorneys.
(c) The bar examining committee may, upon election by a candidate, recommend the candidate for admission in absentia. Upon the administration of the oaths taken as Commissioner of the Superior Court and for admission to the bar by an official duly qualified to administer oaths, the candidate who has taken the oaths shall be admitted to the Connecticut bar in absentia. The candidate shall complete the oaths and submit the original affidavits to the bar examining committee within 180 days from the date of certification.
Amendment History
(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 18.) (Amended June 26, 2020, to take effect Jan. 1, 2021; amended June 10, 2022, to take effect Jan. 1, 2023; amended June 9, 2023, to take effect Jan. 1, 2024.)
Plain-English Summary
Once the bar examining committee recommends an applicant for admission, Section 2-10 tells the applicant where to go next. The applicant appears before the Superior Court (or the Supreme Court or Appellate Court sitting as the Superior Court) at the time and place the committee or the court sets, and the court may admit the applicant as an attorney on motion. The director notifies each court clerk of the newly admitted attorneys, and at the moment of admission the new attorney is also sworn in as a Commissioner of the Superior Court. The administrative judge, the chief justice, the chief judge of the Appellate Court, or a designee of any of them may address the newly admitted group about their duties and responsibilities.
Subsection (c) gives candidates another path: admission in absentia. If a candidate elects this option, the committee can recommend admission without an in-person appearance. The candidate takes the required oaths before someone authorized to administer oaths, and that act admits the candidate to the Connecticut bar. The candidate still has to complete the oaths and send the original affidavits to the bar examining committee within 180 days of certification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to appear in court in person to be admitted to the Connecticut bar?
Not necessarily. Section 2-10(a) describes the standard in-person admission before the Superior Court, but subsection (c) lets a candidate elect admission in absentia by taking the required oaths before an official authorized to administer them.
What happens at the moment of admission?
The court admits the applicant as an attorney on motion, and the applicant is also sworn in as a Commissioner of the Superior Court at that time.
What is the deadline for completing admission in absentia?
A candidate admitted in absentia must complete the oaths and submit the original affidavits to the bar examining committee within 180 days of the date of certification.
Who can address newly admitted attorneys about their responsibilities?
The administrative judge of the judicial district (or a designee), the chief justice of the Supreme Court (or a designee), or the chief judge of the Appellate Court (or a designee) may deliver an address to the newly admitted applicants.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 2-10). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: Connecticut bar admission in absentiasworn in as Commissioner of the Superior CourtSuperior Court attorney admission processadmission ceremony Connecticut baradmitting attorneys by motion Connecticut