Alabama State Bar Admission Ceremony
We look forward to celebrating you!
Please accept our best wishes as you embark on what we hope will be a long and successful legal career. To honor your outstanding accomplishment, the Young Lawyers’ Section of the Alabama State Bar invites you to attend a formal Admission Ceremony hosted in your honor on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre in downtown Montgomery, Alabama. For driving directions, please visit MPAC online or call (334) 481-5100.
The ceremony is a wonderful opportunity to share your achievements with your friends and family, as well as a chance to make new friends and meet future colleagues. The Supreme Court of Alabama, Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, and Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals will all participate in what we hope and expect will be an informational and inspirational ceremony.
Advance Registration
To help the Supreme Court of Alabama process formal Certificates of Admission in a timely manner, we ask February 2026 admittees to register by September 25 and July 2026 admittees to register by October 21.
If you do not register in advance, you may still register onsite and participate in the Admission Ceremony. However, admittees who register onsite will not be able to pick up a formal Certificate of Admission at the ceremony. If you request and purchase a formal Certificate of Admission onsite, the Supreme Court Clerk’s Office will mail the certificate to you after the ceremony.
Attorneys admitted after the cut-off for last year’s Admissions Ceremony (October 15, 2025) may also register to participate in this year’s ceremony.
Ceremony Registration and Payment (Required If Attending)
If you plan to attend the Admission Ceremony, please complete your registration and submit the $50 registration fee (non-refundable) by the applicable advance registration date listed above.
ONLY ADMITTEES need to register and pay to attend the Admission Ceremony. Family members and guests are not required to register or pay.
Your ceremony registration is not complete until payment has been submitted. The $50 registration fee is separate from the fee for your formal Certificate of Admission and any admission fees charged by the federal courts.
Arrival Information
Check-in will begin at 8:30 A.M. on the day of the ceremony. After checking in, you may also apply for admission with the three federal district courts of Alabama and pick up your ceremony program.
You should plan to arrive in downtown Montgomery prior to 8:30 A.M. to secure a parking space. The Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa, which is connected to the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre, has a parking deck conveniently located for you to use for the day. Alternatively, metered parking is also available on the streets adjacent to the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre.
For driving directions, please visit MPAC online or call (334) 481-5100. For those arriving from out of town who need hotel accommodations, we recommend visiting the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa’s website to make reservations or calling (877) 545-0311 for more information. Embassy Suites and Hampton Inn & Suites are also located within two blocks of the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre.
Ceremony Photos and Security Information
Due to security policies, MPAC requires attendees to pass through metal detectors at the Admission Ceremony. All persons and property are subject to search. No weapons, firearms, knives, sharp objects, pepper spray, or mace are allowed. Balloons, confetti, and horns/noise makers are also prohibited. Additionally, pursuant to the Supreme Court Marshal’s instructions, after the ceremony begins, anyone who exits the theatre will not be allowed reentry.
During the ceremony, a professional photographer will take a posed photo of each new admittee receiving a certificate on stage alongside the Alabama State Bar President and the Clerk of Court. A link to these photos will be emailed to all admittees approximately three weeks after the ceremony. The Alabama State Bar has covered the cost of these photos, so you may download and print them at no cost.
Immediately following the ceremony, a group photograph of all new admittees will be taken in the lobby of the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre and published in The Alabama Lawyer magazine. Please proceed directly to the lobby after the ceremony to ensure you are included in the photo.
After the group photo, you and any other lawyers in your family may also have your photo taken for the always-popular “Lawyers in the Family” feature, which will also be published in The Alabama Lawyer.
Several vendors and sponsors will be present with information about their products and services, as well as giveaways. We encourage you to visit our sponsors and vendors before and after the ceremony.
The ceremony will commence promptly at 10:00 A.M. and will end by 12:00 P.M.
Formal Certificates of Admission
You may request to purchase a formal Certificate of Admission from the Supreme Court of Alabama. The certificate is signed by the Justices of the Supreme Court of Alabama and issued by the Clerk of the Court. It is separate from a certificate of good standing or any other certificate you may receive from the Alabama State Bar.
You may submit your certificate request and payment electronically or by mail by following the instructions on the Court’s website.
If you wish to pick up your formal Certificate of Admission at the Admission Ceremony, both your request and payment must be received by the Office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court of Alabama no later than Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
If you request and purchase a Certificate of Admission onsite at the ceremony, you may still participate fully in the ceremony, but your formal Certificate of Admission will not be available for pickup that day. The Clerk’s Office will mail it to you after the ceremony.
Admission to the United States District Courts
As part of the ceremony, you also have the opportunity to be admitted and sworn into the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama. While admission to the federal courts is not required, if you anticipate practicing before Alabama’s federal courts, this opportunity provides a convenient way to complete the admission process.
You can download the necessary admission forms and instructions at the following links:
United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama | Forms
- You can pay your $250 application fee by check made payable to “Clerk, U.S. District Court.”
United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama | Forms
- You can pay your $261 application fee by check made payable to “Clerk, District Court.”
United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama
- There are no forms for the Southern District of Alabama.
- You must create a PACER account.
- Log in with your PACER credentials, go to the Maintenance tab, and click Attorney Admissions to register for the Southern District.
- You may pay online or skip the payment step and pay by check in person at the Admission Ceremony. Checks should be made payable to “Clerk of Court for the USDC, Alabama Southern.”
To ensure an efficient registration process, please have your applicable forms and checks completed prior to the morning of the ceremony. The Young Lawyers’ Section will have attorneys available at the ceremony to sign admission motions if needed.