"The Court this day adopted the following rules and Ordered the same to be recorded on the minutes:
The Court will hereafter require of Candidates for admission to the bar, Whether previously licensed in another State or not. 1st Evidence of Citizenship of the United States. 2d of good Moral Character and 3dly Except when a license is produced from another State, Evidence of One Year's residence in this State. The Court will not be satisfied with the qualifications of a Candidate in point of legal learning unless it shall appear by Examination that he is well read in the following Course of Studies at least--Story on the Constitution, The general laws of the United States, Vattel's law of Nations, The Louisiana Code, The Code of Practice, The Statutes of the State, of a general nature, The Institutes of Justinian, Domat's Civil laws, Pothier's Treatise on Obligations, Blackstone's Commentaries, Kent's Commentaries, Chitty or Bayley on Bills, Starkie or Phillips on evidence, Russel on Crimes, and the Jurisprudence of Louisiana as Settled by the decisions of the Supreme Court. The Examination shall be Conducted in the following manner. Every three months in the Eastern District and at the Commencement of each term in the Western District the Court will appoint from among the members of the Bar a Committee of Seven who are earnestly requested to lend their aid to the Court. Upon the Candidate producing a Certificate from the Committee that he has been strictly and rigidly examined by them upon the above works, and that he is in their Opinion qualified for admission to the Bar, The Court will admit him to a public examination, and if after such public examination they concur with the Committee, the Candidate will be admitted and licensed as an attorney Counsellor at Law, and not otherwise.
This Rule is to apply in both Districts of the Supreme Court and the Clerks will publish it in some one newspaper in each District.
The following members of the Bar are appointed by the Court to form the Committee of Examination:
Messrs Mazureau, Eustis, Strawbridge, Rost-Denis, Grymes, and Levi Pierce."
[November 24, 1840, Book 6, 1839-1842, 228]
This is taken from the Supreme Court Minute Books, as reported by Warren M. Billings in his book The Historic Rules of the Supreme Court of Louisiana 1813-1879.
