U.S. Supreme Court Swearing-In Ceremony

KU Law alumni interested in this opportunity should:

1. Complete the Ceremony Registration to hold your spot.
    
2. Obtain a Certificate of Good Standing from your state supreme court or highest court. See detailed instructions in the Application Packet section below.
    

3. Submit your application packet, along with the Certificate of Good Standing, no later than April 1, 2025. All applications will be sent as a group to the Supreme Court Admission Office.

   Mail your completed materials to:
   University of Kansas School of Law
   Attn: Debbie Schmidt
   1535 W. 15th, Suite 205
   Lawrence, Kansas  66045

Following the receipt of your application, Debbie Schmidt will confirm that your materials have been received and provide more event details. We will be submitting a group application; please do not send your application materials directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.  

Participating alumni are responsible for their own transportation and accommodations in Washington, D.C. In addition to the $200 Supreme Court admission fee, there is a $100 participation fee, which includes two receptions and breakfast. Each participant is allowed one guest inside the courtroom. Children under the age of six are not allowed. 

Your application packet should include:

1. SCOTUS Bar Application
2. Certificate of Good Standing
3. A $200 check made payable to “Supreme Court of the United States.”  The check must be postdated June 12, 2025.
4. A $100 check made payable to “KU School of Law” (this does not need to be postdated).

Mail completed application materials and payments no later than April 1, 2025, to the address below.  Do not send your application directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.

University of Kansas School of Law
Attn: Debbie Schmidt
1535 W. 15th, Suite 205
Lawrence, Kansas  66045

Application Instructions:

1. Download the Supreme Court Bar Application and save it to your desktop. The QR code on the SCOTUS Bar Application is required, with no exceptions. The QR code is embedded in the form in the bottom right corner of the first and second pages and will expand as data is entered. The latest Adobe Reader 7.0.5 software must be used when downloading the application.
2. Open the application from your desktop in Adobe Reader. Please note: if the file opens in your web browser, the QR code will not expand, and the court will not accept your application. 
3. Complete the application electronically, except for signatures. The Supreme Court will not accept handwritten forms. 
   • Do not use all caps.
   • Be sure to write your name, city and state exactly how you want it on your certificate. This is how it will be recorded in the official Court record and cannot be changed. 
   • A positive response to questions 12 (a)(b)(c)(d) requires additional documentation that should be submitted with the application packet. 
   • You will need to list two sponsors that are members of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, and are not related to you. If you don’t know any sponsors that can sponsor you, KU Law will provide these sponsors for you:
     • Stephen R. McAllister, 1535 W. 15th Street, Lawrence, KS 66045
     • Kyle C. Velte, 1535 W. 15th Street, Lawrence, KS 66045
4. Do not complete the section “Motion for Admission.”
5. Note that on page one there is a check box for an alternate certificate. The standard admission certificate contains the words “in the year of our Lord, two thousand..." If you prefer these words to be omitted on your certificate, check the box.
6. Save the PDF once all fields have been completed, except the signature fields.
7. Print the PDF and complete the signatures. All signatures must be original (wet) from both sponsors and applicant on page two. Note that you need to sign in two places on page two of the application (Certification and Oath of Admission).
8. Do not forget to send a Certificate of Good Standing from your state supreme court or highest court. There may be specific timelines in receiving the Certificate of Good Standing. Please request the certificate as soon as possible. This should be an original paper certificate. Do not submit a certificate from a state bar association or federal court. The certificate must be from the presiding judge, clerk or other authorized official of the highest court of a State, Commonwealth, Territory or Possession, or of the District of Columbia, and must state that you have been a member of the bar of that court for at least three years and are in good standing. A certificate will be accepted only if it was issued less than one year before the date the application is submitted. 
9. View a sample application. 

A 'magnificent' experience: 2018 Swearing-In Ceremony

Professor Stephen McAllister, L'88

Shorten your bucket list by joining us for an extraordinary weekend this June in Washington, D.C.

This unique opportunity involves appearing in the magnificent courtroom that morning in front of all of the justices, as well as an opportunity to meet one or more justices following the ceremony.

The morning begins with our group gathering inside the Supreme Court, where you will be assisted and guided by members of the KU Law family, as well as staff of the Supreme Court. I will move the admission of the KU Law group in the courtroom that morning.

As added highlights, you and your guests will be seated in the courtroom before the court convenes, and you will have the opportunity to watch and listen as the justices announce from the bench decisions of the court prior to the admission ceremony. Then, once the admissions ceremony begins, you will hear your name called as I move your admissions one-by-one, you will stand as the justices look at you, and once the entire KU Law group is announced, the chief justice will formally grant the motion for admission. Once all admissions are completed, you will stand again, the clerk of the court will administer the oath of office, and the chief justice will officially welcome you as new members of the bar.

But that is not the end of a wonderful day! Once the court adjourns, the KU Law group will move to a room inside the court where most likely the chief justice and at least one other justice will stop by to greet, welcome, and visit with the admittees and their guests. In recent years, the chief justice has visited our group after the ceremony each time, and other justices — including Justice Sotomayor, Justice Ginsburg, and Justice Thomas — have stopped by to welcome and visit with our group. Generally, we have taken a group photo with any and all justices who stop by the KU Law room.

The court itself will eventually send you a certificate of your membership in the Supreme Court Bar (these look great in your office once framed).