Third-Year Practice Certificate

VA BAR REQUIREMENTS

To obtain a certificate from the Virginia Bar pursuant to Rule 15, you must have completed at least four semesters of law school, and successfully completed the following courses:

  1. Civil Procedure (LAW 6000)
  2. Criminal Law (LAW 6003)
  3. Evidence (LAW 6104)
  4. Professional Responsibility (LAW 7071 or 7072)

IF CERTIFICATE NEEDED FOR 3L FALL TERM

During the summer, SRO submits a request to the Virginia Bar for Practice Certificates for all rising 3Ls who have completed all four of the required courses above.  Rising 3L students do not need to ask SRO to order a VA certificate; however, students do need to obtain their certificate from SRO by emailing  @email for it, and SRO will email it back in PDF format.  

IF CERTIFICATE NEEDED FOR 3L SPRING TERM

A 3L student who is satisfying outstanding prerequisites during the fall term and needs a 3L Practice Certificate for the spring term must submit a request to SRO for it.  

IF CERTIFICATE NEEDED FOR SUMMER WORK BETWEEN 2L & 3L YEAR 

If you are a 2L and will need your practice certificate for a summer job in between your 2L and 3L year, SRO cannot request a certificate until we can confirm (1) that you've completed four semesters of legal studies, and (2) you've satisfactorily completed required coursework. So, please submit a request by April 15 so that SRO can obtain a preliminary grade (i.e., to confirm at least a passing grade) from your spring instructors, thereby allowing SRO to make the certifications in mid-May. Otherwise, SRO must wait until the final grading deadline a few weeks later in order to be able to confirm that a rising 3L has satisfied the prerequisites.

IF CERTIFICATE NEEDED FOR OTHER JURISDICTIONS

The Public Service Center's state-by-state Student Practice Certificate Guide can be found in the "Additional Resources" section of the Public Service Job Search page.  If you need a letter from SRO or completion of a certification form by SRO confirming the completion of prerequisites for a student practice certificate in another jurisdiction, please contact Dean Dugas at @email (and include the jurisdiction's rules pertaining to student practice for reference).