RULES GOVERNING ADMISSION TO THE VIRGIN ISLANDS BAR Rule 202.1. Limited Permission to Practice as In-House Counsel

• Jurisdiction: United States

Rule 202.1. Limited Permission to Practice as In-House Counsel

(a) General Provisions. A lawyer admitted to the practice of law in a State, Commonwealth, or Territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia ("United States jurisdiction") other than the Virgin Islands, who is or will be employed as a lawyer by an organization, the business of which is lawful and consists of activities other than the practice of law or the provision of legal services (the "employing entity"), and who will have a systematic and continuous presence in the Virgin Islands, may apply for a Virgin Islands Certificate of Limited Practice as In-house Counsel. For purposes of this Rule the employing entity shall not include the Government of the Virgin Islands, its agencies, boards, or instrumentalities. Lawyers admitted to practice only in a jurisdiction outside of the United States may not apply for a Virgin Islands Certificate of Limited Practice as In-house Counsel, but may apply for a Virgin Islands Certificate of Limited Practice as a Foreign Legal Consultant in accordance with Supreme Court Rule 202.2.

Any individual who is not an active member of the Virgin Islands Bar who practices as an in-house counsel without applying, and ultimately being granted, a Virgin Islands Certificate of Limited Practice as In-house Counsel

i. shall be subject to professional discipline in the Virgin Islands, including for the unauthorized practice of law;
ii. may be deemed ineligible to apply for admission to the Virgin Islands Bar; and
iii. may be referred by the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, the Board on Professional Responsibility, or the Board on Unauthorized Practice of Law to the disciplinary authority of another jurisdiction, United States or foreign, in which the individual is licensed to practice law.

(b) Application. An applicant for a Virgin Islands Certificate of Limited Practice as In-house Counsel shall:

(1) File under oath or affirmation the Supreme Court's form application for a Virgin Islands Certificate of Limited Practice as In-house Counsel. The clerk shall open a bar admissions file for each application, assign a case number, and refer the application to the Director of Bar Admissions of the Supreme Court, who shall coordinate the processing of the application with the Committee of Bar Examiners.
(2) Pay a fee of $500.00, of which $100.00 shall be retained by the clerk as a filing fee and the remaining $400.00 remitted to the Committee of Bar Examiners to defray the local costs of investigations and administration. Applicants shall submit two checks or money orders, one

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