Announcements

Character and Fitness Application Revisions

The Arizona Supreme Court is proud to announce significant updates to the Character and Fitness Application. These revisions aim to streamline the application process while maintaining the thorough review necessary to protect the integrity of the legal profession.

The revised applications are expected to launch in mid-to-late January 2025, as updates are currently underway. In the meantime, the current application remains available.

Background

A comprehensive review of the Character and Fitness Application was conducted, including feedback from the Arizona law schools, the State Bar of Arizona, and the Committee on Character and Fitness. The resulting updates reduce the number of questions, the number of required references, and narrows the timespans under review.

The Arizona Supreme Court-approved changes ensure retaining the information necessary for a thorough review while easing the burden of the application process.

Notable Changes

While changes were made to each section of the application, more notable changes include:

• Employment History
  • Reduces the number of references required from all employers to the 5 most recent employers within the last 10 years or since age 21.
  • Applicants are no longer required to include periods of unemployment or a description of activities during unemployment.
  • Implements a lookback period of 10 years or since age 21, whichever is shorter, regarding employment misconduct.
• Personal and Professional References
  • No longer required unless an applicant does not have employment/law related references. 
  • If no employment/law related references, then non-professional employment references or references from the applicant’s educational background may be substituted.
• Criminal History
  • Narrowed question requiring disclosure of any arrest, charge, conviction, guilty plea, or no contest plea to a misdemeanor or felony including matters resulting in suspended imposition of sentences, vacated judgments, pardons, or similar dispositions.
  • Also requires disclosure of any juvenile record adjudicated that was for a felony crime if the offense had been committed as an adult.
• Traffic History – Traffic citations are no longer a disclosure requirement.
• Academic History – Eliminates the need to disclose questioning or accusations of misconduct that did not result in a finding or discipline related to that conduct.
• Residential History – Specificity of disclosure reduced.

What to Expect

These updates reflect the Court’s commitment to balancing thoroughness with accessibility and efficiency. The revised applications will improve the applicant experience while upholding the standards required for the practice of law.

Please direct questions to attorneyadmissions@courts.az.gov