Supreme Court of Florida
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No. SC19-1342
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IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT
RELATING TO ADMISSIONS TO THE BAR—RULES 1-22.1 AND 1-23.1.
February 13, 2020
PER CURIAM.
This matter is before the Court for consideration of proposed amendments to
the Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the Bar. We have
jurisdiction 1 and adopt the amendments, with minor revisions.
BACKGROUND
The Florida Board of Bar Examiners (Board) has filed a petition to amend
Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the Bar (Bar Admission
Rules) 1-22.1 (Attorney Members; Qualifications) and 1-23.1 (Public Members;
Qualifications). Following the Board’s submission, the Court published the
Board’s proposals for comment. No comments were filed with the Court.
1. See art. V, § 15, Fla. Const.
We briefly discuss the amendments below.
AMENDMENTS
Rule 1-22.1 of the Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the
Bar provides the basic qualifications for attorney Board members. We amend rule
1-22.1 to now require that attorney members of the Board (1) be active members of
The Florida Bar while serving on the Board; (2) have been active members in the
five years immediately preceding Board service; and (3) be otherwise deemed
qualified by the Court to assess whether applicants meet the essential eligibility
requirements for admission under the Bar Admission Rules. Ambiguous language
regarding the requirements for serving on the Board has been deleted.
Rule 1-23.1 of the Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the
Bar provides the basic qualifications for nonattorney public Board members. We
amend rule 1-23.1 to require that public members of the Board have an academic
bachelor’s degree and otherwise “be deemed qualified by the Court to assess
whether applicants for admission to The Florida Bar meet the essential eligibility
requirements as provided in these Rules.” Language that suggested an emphasis
on scientific experience for Board membership has been deleted.
CONCLUSION
Accordingly, we amend the Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to
Admissions to the Bar as reflected in the appendix to this opinion. New language
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is indicated by underscoring; deletions are indicated by struck-through type. The
amendments shall become effective immediately upon release of this opinion.
It is so ordered.
CANADY, C.J., and POLSTON, LABARGA, LAWSON, and MUÑIZ, JJ.,
concur.
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS.
Original Proceeding – Florida Rules Regulating the Florida Bar
David C. Reeves, Chair, Michele A. Gavagni, Executive Director, and James T.
Almon, General Counsel, Florida Board of Bar Examiners, Tallahassee, Florida,
for Petitioner
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APPENDIX
1-22.1 Qualifications. Attorney members must be practicing attorneys with
scholarly attainments and an affirmative interest in legal education and the
requirements for admission to the bar. Attorney members must have been members
of The Florida Bar for at least 5 years. active members of The Florida Bar, and have
been so for at least the 5 years immediately preceding their appointments to the
board, and otherwise deemed qualified by the Court to assess whether applicants for
admission to The Florida Bar meet the essential eligibility requirements as provided
in these Rules.
1-23.1 Qualifications. Public members must not be lawyers, and must have an
academic bachelor’s degree, and otherwise must be deemed qualified by the Court to
assess whether applicants for admission to The Florida Bar meet the essential
eligibility requirements as provided in these Rules. It is desirable that public
members possess educational or work-related experience of value to the board such
as educational testing, accounting, statistical analysis, medicine, psychology, or
related sciences.
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