To charter a student chapter, or "inn," Phi Delta Phi's constitution requires that the petitioning group has at least 10 undergraduate students of the law school who desire to become members of the fraternity. The institution must be an accredited member of the American Bar Association. If the law school is outside of the United States, the jurisdiction that houses the petitioning institution must recognize it as a standard school that, to that country's satisfaction, adequately prepares its pupils for the study of law.
According to the Phi Delta Phi website, Article 3, Section 3 of the fraternity's constitution provides much flexibility when it comes to requirements for membership. An inn may make its own rules governing the types of students it allows to enter the fraternity. The individual inns may impose their own restrictions based on class rank or grade point averages.
It is the responsibility of the council of a given chapter to assign a name for the group, according to the Phi Delta Phi website. The inn may not use the name that another chapter has already adopted. Additionally, if the individual whose name the group desires is already a member of another legal fraternity, the leadership of the inn must ask the permission of the individual, or her next of kin, if she happens to be deceased.
Each member, or petitioner, must pay a fee to be a part of the fraternity. As of 2011, the charge for U.S. students stands at $75. Canadian students, as of the time of publication, must pay $80 in Canadian money, or $55 in U.S. currency, whichever is less. Mexican students must submit $45, and European students must tender $55.