Title: In Re: Amendment to Rule 1-26 of the Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the Bar

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
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No. SC15-802 
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IN RE: AMENDMENT TO RULE 1-26 OF THE RULES OF THE 
SUPREME COURT RELATING TO ADMISSIONS TO THE BAR. 
 
[May 28, 2015] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
On the Court’s own motion, the Court considers amending the Rules of the 
Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the Bar.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. 
V, § 15, Fla. Const. 
In 1997, the Court adopted Rule 1-26, “Liaison Committee,” of the Rules of 
the Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the Bar.  See Amends. to Rules of 
the Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the Bar, 695 So. 2d 312 (Fla. 1997).  
At that time, the Florida Board of Bar Examiners (Board) proposed the rule to 
establish a liaison committee that would coordinate the work of the bench, bar, law 
schools, and bar examiners.  Id. at 317.  In the eighteen years since Bar Admission 
Rule 1-26 was adopted, the Board has expanded its responsibilities to include 
routinely engaging in outreach and coordination activities.  Board members, the 
 
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Executive Director of the Board, and Board staff visit each of Florida’s law 
schools several times per year.  The Board meets with law school deans, law 
professors, and other law school staff.  Also, the Board conducts an orientation 
session for each incoming law school class, discussing the application for 
admission process, the requirement of candor, and the advantages of submitting an 
application for admission to the Bar during the first year of law school.  Further, 
the Board engages in discussions monthly, and often weekly, with deans, associate 
deans, and other staff at the law schools.  The issues examined during these 
discussions are usually presented to the full Board for its consideration.  In 
addition, the Board presents issues and topics to the Court. 
After considering the Board’s substantial outreach and coordination 
responsibilities that have developed since Bar Admission Rule 1-26 was adopted, 
the Court concludes that there is no longer a need for a permanent liaison 
committee.  The Court, on its own motion, hereby amends the Rules of the 
Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the Bar by deleting Rule 1-26 and its 
subdivisions. 
Accordingly, the Court amends the Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to 
Admissions to the Bar as set forth in the appendix to this opinion.  The deletion is 
indicated by struck-through type.  The amendment shall take effect on June 29, 
2015, at 12:01 a.m.  Because the amendment was not previously published for 
 
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comment, interested persons shall have sixty days from the date of this opinion in 
which to file comments with the Court.1  
It is so ordered. 
 
LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON, 
and PERRY, 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  
 
 
 
                                          
 
1.  All comments must be filed with the Court on or before July 27, 2015, 
with a certificate of service verifying that a copy has been served on the Executive 
Director of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, Michele Gavagni, 1891 Eider 
Court, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1750, gavagnim@flcourts.org, and the General 
Counsel of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, Robert Blythe, 1891 Eider Court, 
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1750, blyther@flcourts.org, as well as 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.  The Executive Director has 
until August 17, 2015, to file a response to any comments filed with the Court.  If 
filed by an attorney in good standing with The Florida Bar, the comment must be 
electronically filed via the E-Filing 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 must be electronically filed via e-
mail in accordance with In re Mandatory Submission of Electronic Copies of 
Documents, Fla. Admin. Order No. AOSC04-84 (Sept. 13, 2004).  Electronically 
filed documents must be submitted in Microsoft Word 97 or higher.  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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Daryl M. Manning, Chair, Michele A. Gavagni, Executive Director, and Robert G. 
Blythe, General Counsel, Florida Board of Bar Examiners, Tallahassee, Florida,  
 
for Petitioner 
 
 
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Appendix 
 
1-26 Liaison Committee. 
 
1-26.1 Purpose. A permanent committee to coordinate the work of the bench, bar, 
law schools, and bar examiners is established to make recommendations to the 
court. 
 
1-26.2 Membership. The committee will consist of: 2 members of the Supreme 
Court of Florida, designated by the court; 2 members of the Florida Board of Bar 
Examiners, designated by the board; 2 members of The Florida Bar, designated by 
The Florida Bar Board of Governors; the deans of all accredited Florida law 
schools or colleges; and any law student representative(s) designated by the court. 
 
1-26.3 Scheduling Meetings. The committee will convene at the pleasure of the 
committee members from the Supreme Court of Florida, 1 of whom will be 
designated by the court as the presiding officer.