IN RE: AMENDMENT OF RULE 204 OF THE PENNSYLVANIA BAR ADMISSION RULES (Per Curiam Order)
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IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA IN RE: : No. 247 AMENDMENT OF RULE 204 : SUPREME COURT RULES OF THE PENNSYLVANIA : DOCKET No. 1 BAR ADMISSION RULES : ORDER PER CURIAM: AND NOW, this 25th day of May, 2000, Rule 204 of the Pennsylvania Bar Admission Rules is amended to read as attached hereto. To the extent that notice of proposed rule-making would be required by Pennsylvania Rule of Judicial Administration No. 103 or otherwise, the immediate amendment of Pa. B.A.R. 204 is hereby found to be required in the interest of justice and efficient administration. This Order shall be processed in accordance with Pennsylvania Rule of Judicial Administration No. 103(b) and shall be effective immediately. NOTE: Underscored material is added. Bracketed material is deleted. Rule 204. Admission of Domestic Attorneys. As an alternative to satisfying the requirements of Rule 203 (relating to admission of graduates of accredited and unaccredited institutions), an attorney of another state may be admitted to the bar of this Commonwealth if the applicant has completed the study of law at and received without exception an earned Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school, is a member of the bar of a reciprocal state at the time of filing of the application for admission to the bar of this Commonwealth, and meets the following qualifications: (1) Presentation of a certificate from the highest court or agency having jurisdiction over admission to the bar and the practice of law in every state or jurisdiction in which the applicant has been admitted to practice law stating that the applicant is in good standing at the bar of such court or such state. An applicant who is disbarred or suspended for disciplinary reasons from the practice of law in another jurisdiction at the time of filing an application for admission to the bar shall not be eligible for admission to the bar of this Commonwealth. (2) Presentation of proof satisfactory to the Board that the applicant has for a period of five years of the last seven years immediately preceding the date of filing of the application for admission to the bar of this Commonwealth: (i) engaged in the practice of law in a state or states outside this Commonwealth; or (ii) provided legal services as an attorney for the federal government regardless of the location of the services; or (iii) served full time as a law clerk to a judge of any court of the United States or of any state or territory of the United States regardless of the location of the service; provided the applicant had at some time been engaged in the practice of law or otherwise performed the legal functions set forth in subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) in reciprocal jurisdictions for at least five years or had been engaged in the practice of law or otherwise performed the legal functions set forth in subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) in reciprocal jurisdictions for a substantial portion of the five out of the seven year period immediately preceding the application or for such portion of time for which credit is being sought in combination with subparagraphs (iv) and (v). For purposes of this paragraph, the phrase engaged in the practice of law is defined as devoting a major portion of one s time and energy to the rendering of legal services ; [(ii)] (iv) engaged full-time in the teaching of law at one or more accredited law schools, colleges or universities in the United States provided a substantial portion of such time was spent teaching at an accredited law school; or [(iii)] (v) served on active duty in the United States military service, as a judge advocate or law specialist, as those terms are defined in the Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. Sec. 801, as amended, regardless of the location of the service. Service under subparagraphs (i), (ii), (iii),(iv) and (v) may be combined to satisfy the five year service requirement of this subparagraph. (3) No applicant will be admitted under this Rule who at any time has taken and failed the Pennsylvania bar examination. (4) Satisfaction of the requirements of Paragraphs (a)(1) and (b)(2) of Rule 203. (5) Has passed the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam with the score required by the Court to be achieved by successful applicants under Rule 203.
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