Admissions

GRBA Admission Ceremonies

The Grand Rapids Bar Association hosts two Admission Ceremonies per year, one in May (for those who pass the February Bar Exam) and another in November (for those who pass the July Bar Exam). The exact dates of the ceremonies are not set until the results come in.

After Bar Exam results are available, the Grand Rapids Bar Association will send an email to all the admittees who submitted a mailing address in Kent County to the Board of Examiners. If you did not submit a mailing address in Kent County to the Board of Examiners, you may still participate but will not receive a personalized invite.

If you would like to participate in the Grand Rapids Bar Association's ceremony, please view our calendar of events at www.grbar.org/events and register for one of our upcoming admissions ceremonies. We offer ceremonies in May and November of each year.

The GRBA does not offer a virtual option, however some counties in Michigan usually do. You can review that list on the State Bar of Michigan website, which typically posts upcoming bar ceremonies on the News Archive section of their website, once the information for all ceremonies is collected. 

General Requirements

The letter sent out by the Grand Rapids Bar Association and the program registration will describe the items you must provide in order to participate in the GRBA Admissions Ceremony.  They are:

• Registration under your name as it appears on your letter from the Board of Examiners
• The original notice you received from the Board of Examiners  ("Greetings from the Court")
• The name of your sponsoring attorney (the attorney who will say a few words on your behalf)
• A $25 payment made online by credit/debit to the Grand Rapids Bar Association (we will then forward this payment to the Kent County Clerk on your behalf)

District Court Admission

Individuals seeking admission to the U.S. District Court – Western District of Michigan are now required to submit their application and pay the admission fee electronically through an individual PACER account. The Clerk’s Office can no longer accept paper petitions or checks for admission. You may register your account via the following link: https://www.miwd.uscourts.gov/attorney-admission-and-registration

Newly Admitted Membership Offer

In recognition of your success, the Grand Rapids Bar Association will offer you a one-year membership to the Grand Rapids Bar Association along with one practice section membership of your choice as a way of introducing you to the Grand Rapids legal community. Once you have received your P# from the State Bar of Michigan, we would encourage you to go www.grbar.org and join as a Newly Admitted member.  It is our hope that you will take advantage of the support and resources afforded with a Bar membership.

Thank you, and congratulations on passing the Bar!