- United States lawyers when licensed so as to perform as a licensed attorney (barrister or solicitor) for the US Government; and most states - or to open a solo law office in a state or US jurisdiction as a lawyer in his/her own firm .. have "enterd the bar' by reason of a successful passage of a written bar examination.
These are usually two days long -- two and a half in California. By normal American constitutional due process, a candidate for a state or such license to open a law firm may see and review an unsuccessful examination - to verify scoring etc. (all by himself in a supervised appointed place, or by his agent or with his agent). The examinations are otherwise not publicly available --- AND --- successful examiions are never seen by the lawyer again --- and only part of his score may be obtain to use in seeking another states lawyer license.
Unlicensed lawyers when graduated from an American or similar la school ay practice law in lesser limited circumstances and in full compliance with the law throughout the USA may work with other licensed lawyers in a legal department (ie a corporate legal counsel) ... and may alone be named General Counsel for any lawful corporation or business etc. (in which case they would hire lcal licensed counsel when a lawyer of local record were needed in court or before a government agency -- or would seek a local courts specific case by case permission for acting as one's lawyer.
In all the NORMAL US States & jurisdicitions, for verification, a licensed lawyer has a Bar Registration number (like a driver's license number -with date of admission to the bar etc.) for sane & rational verificion of the individual -- like medical doctors.
US Government and most states require the governments lawyers (US Attorney; Attorney-Advisor; State Attorney, District Attorney) to be eligible for a bar license (bar membership in the state [a state or territory or other US jurisdiction] by examination (or a waiver of examination by reason of pre-exisitng other state experience) upon appointment. Some states require admission to its bar ahead of time. The US Governemnt requires admission to a state or US jurisdiction/territory ar within 18 months of appointment.
A lawyer or non-lawyer in some states by state constitution may be elected to the judicial bench or a prosecutors function (District Attorney --Attorney-General) without being a formally educated lawyer and without admission to the bar. It is addressed there as a campaign candidate qualification issue.
No two individuals lawfully have the same Bar Number; AND -- when employedas US or State or US jurisdictions lawyer or Attorney -- the appointing government is that lawyer's SOLE CLient.
A US Attorney is a Federal solicitor or Federal criminal prosecutor -- not a second-hand term for a Washington DC lawyer nor a practioner of law in the Federal Courts and agencies.
This webmaster is a member of the DC Bar (though he owes back dues there) Bar # 321497 -- issued by successful bar examination in 1980 (JD- from Washington College of Law of American University-Washington DC in 1979)
No honest or lawful lawyer can misrepresent having a bar number; nor refuse it at the filing of pleadings nor when so representing himself before the public -- for election -litigation - client seeking - commercial business etc. New York State has a fine example of lawyer registration -- listing lawyers in a computerized list to the public -by name with address and bar nmber and when admtted and wehter by examination waiver (a specific action of the highest court of the state or US jurisdicion) or examination.
Some states may also have specialzed out-of-state attorney licensing examinations apart from the full bar examination.
No individual will lawfully possess anyone's state bar examination papers or results nor publicize them save by law.
- Washington DC Bar Examination Regulations
- For general BarAdmission regulations -see each US state or jurisdiction & review their ex requirements at BAR-BRI - a premier Bar Examination Law Review school