{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-3926.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-3926.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-3926.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-3926.html"}],"law_id":73241,"edition_id":1,"section_id":73241,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3926","catch_line":"Preliminary proof of education required of applicant","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 54-62; 1952, c. 553; 1960, c. 379; 1980, c. 533; 1988, c. 765; 1995, c. 336; 1998, cc. 119, 796; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 296; 2022, c. 148; 2025, c. 39.","full_text":"Before an applicant will be permitted to take any examination under this article, the applicant shall furnish to the Board satisfactory evidence that he has:\n\n1\n\nSatisfactorily completed legal studies amounting to at least five semesters, or the equivalent of at least five semesters on a system other than a semester system, of full-time study at a law school approved by the American Bar Association or the Board;2\n\nReceived a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an institution of higher education accredited by an accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and studied law for three years, consisting of not less than 18 hours per week for at least 40 weeks per year, in the office of an attorney practicing in the Commonwealth, whose full time is devoted to the practice of law;3\n\nStudied law for at least three years partly in a law school approved by the American Bar Association or the Board and partly, for not less than 18 hours per week for at least 40 weeks per year, in the office of an attorney practicing in the Commonwealth whose full time is devoted to the practice of law;4\n\nReceived a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an institution of higher education accredited by an accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and studied law for three years, consisting of not less than 18 hours per week for at least 40 weeks per year, with a retired circuit court judge who served the Commonwealth as a circuit court judge for a minimum of 10 years and who at the time of commencement of the three-year study period was retired for not more than five years; or5\n\nCompleted all degree requirements from a law school not approved by the American Bar Association, including a foreign law school, obtained an LL.M. from a law school approved by the American Bar Association, and been admitted to practice law before the court of last resort in any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.\n\t\t\tThe attorney in whose office or the judge with whom the applicant intends to study shall be approved by the Board, which shall prescribe reasonable conditions as to the course of study.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":263630,"text":"Before an applicant will be permitted to take any examination under this article, the applicant shall furnish to the Board satisfactory evidence that he has:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":263631,"text":"Satisfactorily completed legal studies amounting to at least five semesters, or the equivalent of at least five semesters on a system other than a semester system, of full-time study at a law school approved by the American Bar Association or the Board;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":263632,"text":"Received a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an institution of higher education accredited by an accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and studied law for three years, consisting of not less than 18 hours per week for at least 40 weeks per year, in the office of an attorney practicing in the Commonwealth, whose full time is devoted to the practice of law;","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":263633,"text":"Studied law for at least three years partly in a law school approved by the American Bar Association or the Board and partly, for not less than 18 hours per week for at least 40 weeks per year, in the office of an attorney practicing in the Commonwealth whose full time is devoted to the practice of law;","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2","next_prefix":"4"},"4":{"id":263634,"text":"Received a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an institution of higher education accredited by an accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and studied law for three years, consisting of not less than 18 hours per week for at least 40 weeks per year, with a retired circuit court judge who served the Commonwealth as a circuit court judge for a minimum of 10 years and who at the time of commencement of the three-year study period was retired for not more than five years; or","type":"section","prefixes":["4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"4","prefix_anchor":"4","level":1,"prior_prefix":"3","next_prefix":"5"},"5":{"id":263635,"text":"Completed all degree requirements from a law school not approved by the American Bar Association, including a foreign law school, obtained an LL.M. from a law school approved by the American Bar Association, and been admitted to practice law before the court of last resort in any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.\n\t\t\tThe attorney in whose office or the judge with whom the applicant intends to study shall be approved by the Board, which shall prescribe reasonable conditions as to the course of study.","type":"section","prefixes":["5"],"prefix":"5","entire_prefix":"5","prefix_anchor":"5","level":1,"prior_prefix":"4"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15358,"edition_id":1,"name":"Examinations and Issuance of Licenses","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13488,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:54:13","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:54:13","permalink":{"id":244359,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15358,"identifier":"4","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13488,"edition_id":1,"name":"Attorneys","identifier":"39","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13487,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:01","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:01","permalink":{"id":244227,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13488,"identifier":"39","token":"54.1\/IV\/39","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/39\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13487,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions Regulated by the Supreme Court","identifier":"IV","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:01","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:01","permalink":{"id":244225,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13487,"identifier":"IV","token":"54.1\/IV","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":79407,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3925","catch_line":"Application for examination","url":"\/54.1-3925\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3925","metadata":false},{"id":85433,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3925.1","catch_line":"Proof of character and fitness required of applicant; character and fitness committee; fees","url":"\/54.1-3925.1\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3925.1","metadata":false},{"id":82501,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3925.2","catch_line":"Access to criminal history records","url":"\/54.1-3925.2\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3925.2","metadata":false},{"id":63518,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3925.3","catch_line":"Authority for subpoenas; qualified privilege and immunity","url":"\/54.1-3925.3\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3925.3","metadata":false},{"id":73241,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3926","catch_line":"Preliminary proof of education required of applicant","url":"\/54.1-3926\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3926","metadata":false},{"id":72389,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3927","catch_line":"Time and place of examination","url":"\/54.1-3927\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3927","metadata":false},{"id":70143,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3928","catch_line":"Issuance of license or certificate; list of persons certified to Supreme Court","url":"\/54.1-3928\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3928","metadata":false},{"id":58450,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3929","catch_line":"Preservation of examination papers","url":"\/54.1-3929\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3929","metadata":false},{"id":68467,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3930","catch_line":"Reexaminations","url":"\/54.1-3930\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3930","metadata":false},{"id":83228,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3931","catch_line":"Granting certificates without examination; law professors","url":"\/54.1-3931\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3931","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":63518,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3925.3","catch_line":"Authority for subpoenas; qualified privilege and immunity","url":"\/54.1-3925.3\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3925.3","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":72389,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3927","catch_line":"Time and place of examination","url":"\/54.1-3927\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3927","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-3926\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 8 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1952, chapter 553; in 1960, chapter 379; in 1980, chapter 533; in 1988, chapter 765; in 1995, chapter 336<\/a>; in 1998, chapters 119<\/a> and 796<\/a>; in 2022, chapter 148<\/a>; in 2025, chapter 39<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":73725,"section_number":"54.1-3900","catch_line":"Practice of law; student internship program; definition","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-3900\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":244377,"object_type":"law","relational_id":73241,"identifier":"54.1-3926","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3926","url":"\/54.1-3926\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-3926\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3926","dublin_core":{"Title":"Preliminary proof of education required of applicant","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-3926","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Before an applicant will be permitted to take any examination under this article, the applicant shall furnish to the Board satisfactory evidence<\/span> that he has:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Satisfactorily completed legal studies amounting to at least five semesters, or the equivalent of at least five semesters on a system other than a semester system, of full-time study at a law<\/span> school approved by the American Bar Association or the Board; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> Received a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an institution of higher education accredited by an accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and studied law<\/span> for three years, consisting of not less than 18 hours per week for at least 40 weeks per year, in the office of an attorney practicing in the Commonwealth, whose full time is devoted to the practice of law<\/span>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> Studied law<\/span> for at least three years partly in a law<\/span> school approved by the American Bar Association or the Board and partly, for not less than 18 hours per week for at least 40 weeks per year, in the office of an attorney practicing in the Commonwealth whose full time is devoted to the practice of law<\/span>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> Received a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an institution of higher education accredited by an accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and studied law<\/span> for three years, consisting of not less than 18 hours per week for at least 40 weeks per year, with a retired circuit<\/span> court<\/span> judge<\/span> who served the Commonwealth as a circuit<\/span> court<\/span> judge<\/span> for a minimum of 10 years and who at the time of commencement of the three-year study period was retired for not more than five years; or <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

5.<\/span> Completed all degree requirements from a law<\/span> school not approved by the American Bar Association, including a foreign law<\/span> school, obtained an LL.M. from a law<\/span> school approved by the American Bar Association, and been admitted to practice law<\/span> before the court<\/span> of last resort in any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.\n\t\t\tThe attorney in whose office or the judge<\/span> with whom the applicant intends to study shall be approved by the Board, which shall prescribe reasonable conditions as to the course of study. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPRELIMINARY PROOF OF EDUCATION REQUIRED OF APPLICANT (\u00a7 54.1-3926)\n\nBefore an applicant will be permitted to take any examination under this\narticle, the applicant shall furnish to the Board satisfactory evidence that he\nhas:\n\n1. Satisfactorily completed legal studies amounting to at least five semesters,\nor the equivalent of at least five semesters on a system other than a semester\nsystem, of full-time study at a law school approved by the American Bar\nAssociation or the Board;\n\n2. Received a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an\ninstitution of higher education accredited by an accreditor recognized by the\nU.S. Department of Education and studied law for three years, consisting of not\nless than 18 hours per week for at least 40 weeks per year, in the office of an\nattorney practicing in the Commonwealth, whose full time is devoted to the\npractice of law;\n\n3. Studied law for at least three years partly in a law school approved by the\nAmerican Bar Association or the Board and partly, for not less than 18 hours per\nweek for at least 40 weeks per year, in the office of an attorney practicing in\nthe Commonwealth whose full time is devoted to the practice of law;\n\n4. Received a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an\ninstitution of higher education accredited by an accreditor recognized by the\nU.S. Department of Education and studied law for three years, consisting of not\nless than 18 hours per week for at least 40 weeks per year, with a retired\ncircuit court judge who served the Commonwealth as a circuit court judge for a\nminimum of 10 years and who at the time of commencement of the three-year study\nperiod was retired for not more than five years; or\n\n5. Completed all degree requirements from a law school not approved by the\nAmerican Bar Association, including a foreign law school, obtained an LL.M. from\na law school approved by the American Bar Association, and been admitted to\npractice law before the court of last resort in any state or territory of the\nUnited States or the District of Columbia.\n\t\t\tThe attorney in whose office or the judge with whom the applicant intends to\nstudy shall be approved by the Board, which shall prescribe reasonable\nconditions as to the course of study.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 54-62; 1952, c. 553; 1960, c. 379; 1980, c. 533; 1988, c.\n765; 1995, c. 336; 1998, cc. 119, 796; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 296; 2022, c. 148;\n2025, c. 39.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}