Legal Intern Practice Rule
How to Qualify for Rule 715
Students may be licensed for supervised practice through Kansas Supreme Court Rule 715. Learn about the guidelines for getting a Legal Intern Permit from the Kansas Judicial Branch.
- Fill out your Application for Admission under Kansas Supreme Court Rule 715.
- Check the box for the correct hours completed on the Certification by Law School Dean. We will obtain the Dean's signature.
- Complete the Legal Intern Certification and Oath page and have it notarized (Registrar Jen Kent can notarize if needed). The address you list here is where your receipt will be sent.
- If your name, address or phone number listed on this form changes during your term of the legal intern permit, you must notify the clerk of the appellate courts at admissions@kscourts.org
- Written Consent and Statement of Supervising Attorney pages completed by your Supervising Attorney with each numbered item initialed (original form, no copies please)
- Include a $50.00 check, money order, or cashier check (no cash) made payable to the Clerk of the Supreme Court.
Bring all completed paperwork to the Admissions/Registrar's office in room 103, Green Hall
**Print forms one-sided
Ready to apply? Contact Jen Kent at jenkent@ku.edu to receive the application.
Credit Hours Requirement
General Credit Hours Requirement
Students may obtain a student practice permit after completion of 59 credit hours and Professional Responsibility. Under the 59 hours rule, the permit allows students to work in law school clinics, field placements, governmental agencies and law offices.
Exception for Reduced Hours Required for In-House Law Clinic Work
In very limited circumstances, students can receive a student practice permit after completing 44 credit hours, or after completing the first semester of the second year. To meet this exception, students must have successfully completed or be currently enrolled in Professional Responsibility. A permit under this provision is only available if the student is supervised by a licensed attorney who teaches in an in-house law school clinic. At KU Law, that means:
- Second semester 2Ls can obtain student practice permits allowing them to represent clients for the Project for Innocence or the Legal Aid Clinic. Students must still apply and be accepted to enroll in a clinic.
- Second semester 2Ls cannot obtain a student practice permit to work in a field placement, a governmental agency or a law office. If the student is not supervised by a licensed attorney who teaches in an in-house law clinic, they must complete 59 credit hours to obtain a permit.
Attorney Supervision Requirement
Permits are Valid for Practice Under a Specific, Named Supervising Attorney
The student practice permit is directly tied to the attorney supervising the intern. In other words, the student cannot obtain a permit and move into another job without notifying Attorney Admissions in the Kansas Supreme Court Clerk's Office. Supervising attorneys must notify the Attorney Admissions office when the student placement with the attorney ends, at which time the student's permit terminates. To reactivate the permit, a new supervising attorney must submit the appropriate paperwork to the Attorney Admissions office. There is no additional fee or application process to reinstate or transfer a student's permit; it only requires the new supervising attorney to submit the required form stating the attorney takes responsibility for the student's legal work during the dates provided.
A student permit is not a license to practice law anywhere with any supervisor. The permit is tied to practicing law with the specific supervisor.
Rule 715 License Application Fee
For students facing financial hardship, the KU Law Student Affairs Office will cover the $50 application fee for Rule 715 Licenses (required for students doing certain field placements/clinics).
