U.S. Supreme Court Swearing-In Ceremony

Application Procedures

Participating alumni will be responsible for their own transportation and accommodations, plus a $100 participation fee, which will include two receptions. Forms and instructions for admission are located on the U.S. Supreme Court website.

At this time, participants will not be allowed to have guests inside the courtroom.

Your application packet should include:

1. Your completed Application for Admission to Practice (PDF)
2. Your certificate of good standing from your state bar
3. A $200 check made payable to "Supreme Court of the United States," postdated June 8, 2023
4. A $100 check made payable to "KU School of Law"
5. For application guidance, please reference Instructions for Admission to the Bar (PDF)

Please note: All applications must be typed and must include original signatures. Please sign both the Certification and Oath of Admission sections. Leave the Motion for Admission section blank. If you will not be coordinating your own sponsorships, please leave the Statement of Sponsors portion blank. We will coordinate your sponsorships from among our Supreme Court Bar faculty members and will complete this section for you.

Mail your completed application packet to the KU School of Law, to be received no later than Friday, March 31, 2023:

Rebecca Clayton
Attn: Supreme Court Swearing-In Ceremony
KU School of Law
1535 W. 15th Street
Lawrence, KS 66045

Note: The law school will send materials for our entire group. Please do not send your application and payment directly to the Court.

Sponsors

The application requires two sponsors who are members of the Supreme Court bar. If you don’t know any members who can sponsor you, don't worry. A number of KU Law faculty are members of the Supreme Court Bar. Any of them will be both pleased and proud to sign your application as a sponsor. An updated faculty list will be posted closer to the 2023 application date.

Schedule details will be announced soon. Please check back for details.

The School of Law has reserved a block of hotel rooms at the Hilton Washington DC Capitol Hill. The room block is available June 7-9,2023. Last day to book in the block is May 5, 2023.

Hilton Washington DC Capitol Hill
525 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001, US
Reserve online
To reserve by phone, call +1-800-HILTONS and use the group code UKSL

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).

The most recent KU Law swearing-in ceremony was in June 2018. Thank you to all the alumni who joined us in D.C.

View photos from the 2018 ceremony and reception.