An applicant who has been approved for licensing under Rule 7 may seek admission to the bar of this Court by either:

(1) Appearing in open court and representing, through a reputable member of the bar, that he or she is a person of good moral character and that he or she has been issued a Certificate of Eligibility to be licensed to practice law under Rule 7 and the statutes of this state; or

(2) filing with the Clerk of the Supreme Court an application for admission by affidavit. Such application shall contain:

(A) A personal statement by the applicant that he or she possesses all qualifications and meets all requirements for admission as set out in the preceding paragraph;

(B) A statement by two sponsors (who must be members of the Bar of this Court and must personally know the applicant) endorsing the correctness of the applicant’s statement, stating that the applicant possesses all the qualifications required for admission and affirming that the applicant is of good moral and professional character. Upon timely application and for good cause shown, the Board of Law Examiners, in its discretion, may waive this requirement; and,

(C) A copy of the Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Board of Law Examiners pursuant to Rule 7, Section 9.01.

(3) The documents submitted by the applicant shall demonstrate that he or she possesses the necessary qualifications for admission. Upon the applicant’s taking the oath or affirmation and paying the fee therefor, the Clerk shall issue a certificate of admission. The fee for admission to the Bar of this Court shall be fixed by the Court. Applications may be filed in the offices of the Clerk at Nashville, Knoxville, or Jackson.

(4) Each applicant for admission shall take the following oath:
I, ___________, do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Tennessee. In the practice of my profession, I will conduct myself with honesty, fairness, integrity, and civility to the best of my skill and abilities, so help me God.

(5) The foregoing oath of admission may be administered by one of the following judicial officials in Tennessee: (A) a Justice of the Supreme Court; (B) a Judge of the Court of Appeals; (C) a Judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals; (D) a Circuit Court Judge; (E) a Chancellor; (F) a Criminal Court Judge; (G) a General Sessions Court Judge; (H) a Judge of any other inferior court established by the General Assembly pursuant to Article VI, Section 1 of the Tennessee Constitution; (I) the Clerk of the Appellate Courts; (J) a Chief Deputy Clerk of the Appellate Courts; or (K) the Clerk (not including deputy clerks) of any of the courts of such trial judges listed above. The oath of admission also may be administered by a justice or judge of the court of last resort in any other state.

[Amended by order filed April 18, 2002; amended by order filed October 5, 2009; amended by order filed October 27, 2011; amended by order filed December 21, 2015, effective January 1, 2016, and amended by order filed on September 16, 2019.]