Registration Instructions

Carefully read and follow the instructions below before registering. Failure to do so may cause delays in the admission process.

1. Eligibility: Applicants certified to the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department by the NYS Board of Law Examiners as having passed the NYS bar examination, or who have a pending application before the Appellate Division to be admitted on motion, are permitted to register for the orientation program. Registrations attempted in the absence of these prerequisites will be rejected. Applicants who have passed the bar examination need not wait until their application for admission is filed before registering for the orientation program.

2. Name: Applicants who passed the bar examination must register for the program under their name exactly as it appears on their Notice of Certification received from the NYS Board of Law Examiners. Applicants who are seeking admission on motion must register for the program under their name as it appears on their motion papers.

3. Registration: Registration must be made in advance as detailed below. Applicants are encouraged to register early. Seating for classes is limited at each location and registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis depending upon seating availability.

a) On-line Registration: Applicants, who have passed the NYS bar examination beginning in 2005 or thereafter, may register on-line through the link provided at the conclusion of these instructions. On-line registration will be available for up to three business days prior to a scheduled class, after which registration for that class will be closed. Applicants accepted for a class should print a copy of the confirmation screen at the time of registration which is required to be presented together with a photo i.d. upon check-in at the class location. Registration for a class may be changed on-line, but registering for classes on multiple dates simultaneously is prohibited. Applicants may also cancel a current registration without immediately re-registering for another class, but are requested to do so on-line as far in advance as possible.

b) Registration by Mail: Applicants ineligible to register on-line must register using the mail-in registration form which may be submitted to the Office of Special Counsel by either regular mail or fax transmission. The Office of Special Counsel will select from the three alternate dates provided by the applicant, subject to availability, and will forward a confirmation. Applicants should bring a copy of their confirmation which is required to be presented together with a photo i.d. upon check-in at the class location. Changes or cancellations must be arranged by contacting the Office of Special Counsel.

4. Program Materials: All applicants are responsible for obtaining program materials on-line from this website, and should bring those materials with them on the day of the class. Applicants unable to access/obtain materials from the website due to extraordinary circumstances must contact the Office of Special Counsel in advance to request a copy of the materials.

5. Certification to the Committee on Character & Fitness and CLE credit: Upon conclusion of each orientation class, the Office of Special Counsel will certify to the Committee on Character and Fitness a list of all applicant's who have successfully completed that program. Applicants who successfully complete the program will earn three credits of CLE and will receive a Certificate of Attendance which should be retained as proof of completion of the program and for CLE compliance. Late arrivals to or early departures from the program may preclude certification of successful completion.

6. Program Cancellation Due to Emergency: Cancellation of a program due to inclement weather or other emergency circumstances may be confirmed by telephoning the Office of Special Counsel. Re-scheduling instructions will be posted on the web site of the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department at www.nycourts.gov/courts/ad2.

7. Waivers: The Presiding Justice or his or her designee may grant waivers or modifications of the Orientation to the Profession requirement in individual cases involving "undue hardship or extenuating circumstances" (see 22 NYCRR 690.21). Requests for waivers may be made in writing by regular mail submitted to the Office of Special Counsel. Applicants are cautioned that waivers are granted only in exceptional circumstances.