Case Title: In Re: Amendments to the Supreme Court Rules Relating to Admissions to the Bar

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC19-2018

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2020-01-23T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme Court of Florida 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC19-2018 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO THE SUPREME COURT RULES RELATING 
TO ADMISSIONS TO THE BAR. 
 
January 23, 2020 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
The Court, on its own motion, amends the Rules of the Supreme Court 
Relating to Admissions to the Bar.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 15, Fla. 
Const. 
 
Rule 4-22 of the Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the 
Bar enumerates the possible subjects that can be tested on Part A of the General 
Bar Examination, which is administered to individuals seeking admission to The 
Florida Bar.1  At the suggestion of the deans of Florida’s twelve law schools, and 
                                          
 
 
1.  The Florida Bar Examination currently consists of a General Bar 
Examination and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE).  
Fla. Bar Admiss. R. 4-11.  The General Bar Examination consists of two parts, Part 
A and Part B.  Fla. Bar Admiss. R. 4-20.  Part A is developed by the Florida Board 
of Bar Examiners and includes a combination of essay and multiple-choice 
questions, and Part B is the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), which is 
 
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following a discussion between the deans and the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, 
with members of the Court participating, we amend rule 4-22 to remove two 
subject areas, juvenile delinquency and dependency, from the list of possible 
subjects to be tested.  We remove these two subject areas because we agree with 
the law school deans that these subjects test specialized knowledge falling outside 
the general competency that the General Bar Examination is intended to test.  Rule 
4-21 of the Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the Bar provides 
that the purpose of the General Bar Examination is to “test the applicant’s ability to 
reason logically, to analyze accurately the problem presented, and to demonstrate a 
thorough knowledge of the fundamental principles of law and their application.”  
We believe that amending rule 4-22 to eliminate these two subject areas will 
increase the validity of the Florida Bar Examination by allowing law school 
graduates to engage in more thoughtful analysis of core legal subjects instead of 
memorizing highly technical rules and information for a limited period of time. 
 
Accordingly, we thank the law school deans for their input and amend the 
Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to Admission to the Bar as reflected in the 
appendix to this opinion.  The new language is indicated by underlining; deletions 
are indicated by struck-through type.  These amendments shall take effect 
                                          
 
developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.  Id.; see Fla. Bar Admiss. 
R. 4-23. 
 
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immediately upon the release of this opinion and will apply prospectively, 
beginning with the first 2020 examination.  Because the amendments were not 
published for comment prior to their adoption, interested persons shall have 
seventy-five days from the date of this opinion in which to file comments with the 
Court.2 
 
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 – Rules of the Supreme Court of Florida Relating to 
Admissions to the Florida Bar 
 
                                          
 
 
2.  All comments must be filed with the Court on or before April 7, 2020, 
with a separate request for oral argument if the person filing the comment wishes 
to participate in oral argument, which may be scheduled in this case.  If filed by an 
attorney in good standing with The Florida Bar, the comment must be 
electronically filed via the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (Portal) in accordance 
with In re Electronic Filing in the Supreme Court of Florida via the Florida Courts 
E-Filing Portal, Fla. Admin. Order No. AOSC13-7 (Feb. 18, 2013).  If filed by a 
nonlawyer or a lawyer not licensed to practice in Florida, the comment may be, but 
is not required to be, filed via the Portal.  Comments filed via the Portal must be 
submitted in Microsoft Word 97 or higher.  See In re Electronic Filing in the 
Florida Supreme Court, Fla. Admin. Order No. AOSC17-27 (May 9, 2017).  Any 
person unable to submit a comment electronically must mail or hand-deliver the 
originally signed comment to the Florida Supreme Court, Office of the Clerk, 500 
South Duval Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1927; no additional copies are 
required or will be accepted. 
 
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APPENDIX 
 
4-22 Part A.  Part A will consist of 6 one-hour segments.  One segment will 
include the subject of Florida Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure and the 
Florida Rules of Judicial Administration.  Questions on the Florida Rules of 
Judicial Administration will address only the following areas:  disqualification of 
trial judges; public access to judicial branch records; minimization of the filing of 
sensitive information; the qualifications, restrictions, and conditions pertaining to 
attorneys in their representation of clients in Florida courts; and the signature of 
attorneys and parties on pleadings and other papers.  The remaining 5 segments, 
each of which will include no more than 3 subjects, will be selected from the 
following subjects including their equitable aspects: 
 
(a) – (h) [no change]  
 
(i) criminal law, and constitutional criminal procedure, and juvenile 
delinquency; 
 
(j) – (k) [no change] 
 
(l) family law and dependency; 
 
(m) – (o) [no change]