Special Admission to the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court Swearing-In Ceremony

Date and Time

Monday, March 20, 2023

This event occurred in the past

Cost

Details

• How do I apply for admission to the U.S. Supreme Court?

  Please Note: All materials and payments must be received by USD School of Law no later than Friday, January 6, 2023. If you do not submit all application materials by this date, we will open up the waitlist for admission to those individuals on the list. To secure your registration, all materials must be on file with USD by Friday, January 6, 2023. 

  To be eligible for the Supreme Court Bar, you must be in good standing with your state’s bar for at least the last 3 years. 

  To apply, please read and complete all the steps below. The Supreme Court’s website for admission instructions can be found here. 

  1. Register here. Space is limited to 12 applicants, reservations accepted on a first-come, first-served basis,. A waitlist will be established to draw from should one of the 12 initial registrants fail to complete all necessary materials or cancel their registration. 
     1. You and your guests will pay for all fees and events associated with the Supreme Court Bar Swearing In Celebration on this registration page. 
  2. Fill out the Application File, accessed here. 
     1. Please complete the application and save the file to send to USD School of Law. 
     2. First page should be completed online; do not use “all caps” in the completion of your form. "Sentence case" is the appropriate form to use (e.g., Debbie Rider, not DEBBIE RIDER).  
     3. Second page must be printed and signed and then scanned and saved as a PDF file. 
     4. Leave “Statement of Sponsors” section blank, unless you have specific sponsors (2 current members of the Bar of the Supreme Court) you wish to sponsor your application. If not, USD School of Law Alumni and Faculty who are members of the Bar have graciously volunteered to sponsor applicants. Please contact lawalum@sandiego.edu with any questions. 
     5. Sign the “Oath of Admissions” section 
  3. Certificate of Good Standing (see more information here. Note: A Certificate of Good Standing from your state’s bar association is NOT acceptable, you must obtain the certificate from the highest court in your jurisdiction. (i.e. California Supreme Court in California)
     1. This certificate is obtained directly from the Supreme Court with a written request and a $1 fee (dollar bill or check payable to Clerk of the Supreme Court of California). Send your request, payment and self-addressed stamped envelope to:

      4. Email your application documents to USD School of Law. 

  • Please email your completed application (minus the sponsor section) and Certificate of Good Standing to lawalum@sandiego.edu 
  • Please use this subject line: “[First Name] [Last Name] Supreme Court Bar Swearing-In Application.” 
• Reasons to Join the U.S. Supreme Court Bar
  • Ability to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court
  • Supreme Court Bar certificates are signed by the Justices
  • Special access to a members-only section of the courtroom. This section is located directly behind the arguing attorneys. It is an ideal spot to watch arguments and a valuable asset for high-profile cases with limited public seating
  • Access to the Court's library, which contains over 600,000 print volumes, 200,000 microforms, and a wide-variety of electronic resources 
  • The USD School of Law celebration includes an alumni reception, dinner conversation with Dean Schapiro about the admission day's case, and lunch reception following the swearing-in!
• Schedule of Events

  March 20th, 2023

  Possible Tour at the U.S. Supreme Cout 

  6 p.m. - 8 p.m. USD Alumni Reception at Procopio 

  8:30 p.m. USD Law Alumni Dinner with Dean Schapiro 

   

  March 21, 2023

  8:00 a.m. All bar applicants arrive promptly at the corner of First St. NE and East Capitol Ave. 

  8:10 a.m. Group will be escorted by Clerk's staff to assigned rooms 

  8:30 a.m. Greetings, photos, mingling 

  9:20 a.m. Group will be escorted to courtroom

  10:00 a.m. Court gavels 

   

  Following the ceremony, we will have a celebratory meal together at a stylish D.C. restaurant where Dean Schapiro will give a special talk offering his insights on the Supreme Court as a professor, dean, and former Supreme Court law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens. 
• Guest Information

  Please note that at this time, the Court is not permitting guests to enter the Court for the admission ceremony. However, all guests are welcome at the USD events preceding and following the ceremony. 

   

   

• Cost Details

  The Supreme Court requires a $200 payment for admission. In for admission. In addition, USD School of Law is offering several events for applicants and their guests: 

  USD Alumni Reception at Procopio - $10 per person 

  USD Law Alumni Dinner with Dean Schapiro - $60 per person 

  USD Law Alumni Celebratory Lunch - $40 per person

• Hotel and Travel Information

  All travel arrangements to and from Washington , D.C. are the responsibility of applicants and their guests. 

  USD School of Law is working on securing a block of hotel rooms at a group discount. Please keep an eye out for an email regarding these details after you register and check this page frequently for updates.