Title: In Re: Amendments to the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar and the Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the Bar - Military Spouse Rules

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC18-158 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES REGULATING THE FLORIDA 
BAR AND THE RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT RELATING TO 
ADMISSIONS TO THE BAR–MILITARY SPOUSE RULES. 
 
[July 19, 2018] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
Before the Court is the joint petition of The Florida Bar (Bar) and the 
Florida Board of Bar Examiners (Board) proposing amendments to both the Rules 
Regulating the Florida Bar (Bar Rules) and the Rules of the Supreme Court 
Relating to Admissions to the Bar (Bar Admission Rules).  We have jurisdiction.  
See art. V, § 15, Fla. Const. 
The Bar and Board propose that the Bar Rules be amended to include new 
chapter 21 (Military Spouse Authorization to Engage in the Practice of Law in 
Florida).  The proposed new chapter is composed of the following new rules:  21-
1.1 (Purpose); 21-2.1 (Eligibility); 21-3.1 (Continuing Legal Education); 21-4.1 
(Activities and Requirement); 21-5.1 (Annual Renewal); and 21-6.1 (Termination).  
 
 
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The petition also proposes that the Bar Admission Rules be amended to include 
new rule 2-23.7 (Military Spouse Fee). 
The proposed new rules were approved by the Board of Governors of The 
Florida Bar, and were published for comment in The Florida Bar News prior to the 
Court’s consideration of them.  The notice directed interested persons to file their 
comments directly with the Court.  One comment was filed in support of the 
proposed new rules.  Neither the Bar nor the Board filed a response to the 
comment. 
Having considered the joint petition and the comment filed, we adopt these 
proposed amendments to the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar and the Rules of the 
Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the Bar.  The new rules accommodate 
the unique mobility requirements of members of the U.S. Armed Services and their 
families.  Service members are frequently required to relocate to duty locations 
around the globe based on the needs of the particular service to which they belong, 
with little regard to how the relocation may affect the service member’s family.  As 
a result, the assignment of a service member to a duty location in Florida may 
place the service member’s spouse in the untenable position of having to choose 
between giving up the practice of law to relocate with the service member and 
continuing to practice law in the jurisdiction where he or she is already licensed.  
New chapter 21 and new rule 2-23.7 establish a process whereby the spouse of a 
 
 
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service member who is licensed to practice law in another jurisdiction may obtain 
authorization to practice law in Florida for up to five years without taking the 
Florida Bar Examination while the service member is assigned to a duty location in 
the state.   
It is our hope that the adoption of these new rules will assuage some of the 
hardships associated with service in the U.S. Armed Services.  At a minimum, our 
adoption of these new rules gives form to the abiding gratitude we all share for the 
men and women who voluntarily serve in the U.S. Armed Services and the 
sacrifices endured by their families.   
Accordingly, new chapter 21 and new rule 2-23.7, as reflected in the 
appendix to this opinion, are added to the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar and the 
Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the Bar, respectively.  The 
amendments shall become effective at 12:01 a.m., September 17, 2018. 
It is so ordered. 
CANADY, C.J., and PARIENTE, QUINCE, POLSTON, LABARGA, and 
LAWSON, JJ., concur. 
LEWIS, J., concurs in result. 
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 Bar 
 
Joshua E. Doyle, Executive Director, Michelle Suskauer, President, John M. 
Stewart, President-elect, Vanessa Lee Brice, Chair, Tina Marie Fischer, Past Chair, 
 
 
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Military Affairs Committee, William A. Spillias, Director, Unlicensed Practice of 
Law, and Elizabeth Clark Tarbert, Ethics Counsel, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, 
Florida; and Elizabeth J. Walters, Chair, Michele A. Gavagni, Executive Director, 
and James T. Almon, General Counsel, Florida Board of Bar Examiners, 
Tallahassee, Florida,  
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
Karlyn H. Boler, on behalf of Military Spouse JD Network, Arlington, Virginia,  
 
 
Responding with Comments 
 
 
 
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Appendix 
RULES REGULATING THE FLORIDA BAR 
CHAPTER 21 MILITARY SPOUSE AUTHORIZATION TO ENGAGE 
IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN FLORIDA 
 21-1 PREAMBLE  
RULE 21-1.1 PURPOSE 
The Supreme Court of Florida may certify a lawyer who is the spouse of a full-
time active duty member of the United States armed forces to engage in the 
practice of law in Florida while the lawyer’s spouse is stationed within this 
jurisdiction, due to the unique mobility requirements of military families who 
support the defense of the United States.  A lawyer certified under this chapter is 
considered a member of the Florida Bar during the period of certification. 
21-2 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 
RULE 21-2.1 ELIGIBILITY 
To be eligible for certification under this chapter, the applicant must: 
(a) be identified and enrolled in the Department of Defense “Defense 
Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System” (or identified and enrolled by the 
Department of Homeland Security for the Coast Guard when not operating as a 
service of the Navy) as the spouse of a full-time active duty member of the United 
States armed forces or a member of the Guard or Reserve components who is 
ordered to extended active duty under Title 10 of the U.S. Code and transferred 
from outside Florida to a duty station in Florida; 
(b) hold a J.D. or LL.B. degree from a law school accredited by the American 
Bar Association at the time the applicant matriculated or graduated; 
(c) have been admitted after passing a written examination to the practice of 
law in another United States jurisdiction; 
(d) be an active member of the bar in good standing who is eligible to practice 
law in at least 1 United States jurisdiction; 
(e) be a member of the bar in good standing in every jurisdiction to which the 
applicant has been admitted to practice law; 
 
 
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(f) establish that the applicant is not subject to lawyer discipline or the subject 
of a pending disciplinary matter in any other jurisdiction; 
(g) not have failed the Florida Bar examination within 5 years of the date of 
application under this chapter or previously been denied admission to The Florida 
Bar for reasons of character and fitness; 
(h) reside in Florida with the service member stationed in Florida or provide 
evidence that the applicant intends to reside in Florida with the service member 
stationed in Florida within 6 months of the application;  
(i) certify having read the Florida Rules of Discipline, the Florida Rules of 
Professional Conduct and this chapter and agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the 
Supreme Court of Florida for disciplinary purposes;  
(j) submit an application to the Florida Board of Bar Examiners in the form 
required by that board, including a copy of the military member’s orders to a duty 
station within Florida; 
(k) pay an application fee established by the Florida Board of Bar Examiners; 
and  
(l) establish the applicant’s qualifications as to character and fitness to the 
satisfaction of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. 
21-3 CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS 
RULE 21-3.1 CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION 
(a) Basic Skills Course Requirement.  A lawyer certified to practice law in 
Florida as a military spouse must complete the basic skills course requirement as 
set forth in subchapter 6-12 of these rules within 6 months of initial certification. 
(b) Exemption and Deferment.  A lawyer certified to practice law in Florida 
as a military spouse is not eligible for exemption from or deferral of the basic skills 
course requirement. 
(c) Minimum Ongoing Requirement.  A lawyer certified to practice law in 
Florida as a military spouse must complete 10 hours of continuing legal education 
during each year the authorization is renewed, including 2 hours of ethics each 
year. 
 
 
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21-4 PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES AND PRACTICE REQUIREMENT 
RULE 21-4.1 ACTIVITIES AND REQUIREMENT 
(a) Generally.  Except as provided elsewhere in this chapter, lawyers certified 
to practice law in Florida as military spouses are entitled to all privileges, rights, 
and benefits and subject to all duties, obligations, and responsibilities of members 
of the Florida Bar in good standing and eligible to practice law in Florida.   
(b) Required Association with Florida Bar Member.  A lawyer certified 
under this chapter must be employed by or in a mentorship relationship with a 
member of The Florida Bar who is eligible to practice law in Florida.  The Military 
Affairs Committee will establish a mentor network for this purpose and may 
appoint its own committee members or other members of The Florida Bar as 
mentors. 
21-5 RENEWAL 
RULE 21-5.1 ANNUAL RENEWAL 
The authorization under this chapter is annual.  Every member of the Florida 
Bar certified as a military spouse lawyer must pay annual membership fees equal 
to those paid by active members of the Florida Bar, must provide The Florida Bar 
with a statement that the certified lawyer continues to be eligible under this 
subchapter, and must provide any other information required by The Florida Bar. 
21-6 TERMINATION 
RULE 21-6.1 TERMINATION 
(a) Termination Due to Change in Status. 
(1) Generally.  The certification to practice law under this chapter will 
terminate if: 
(A) the service member is no longer an active duty member of the 
United States armed forces; 
(B) the certified lawyer is no longer married to the service member; 
(C) the service member receives a permanent transfer outside of 
Florida, except that the certified lawyer may continue to practice pursuant 
to this chapter if the service member has been assigned to an 
unaccompanied or remote assignment with no dependents authorized until 
the service member is assigned to a location with dependents authorized;  
 
 
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(D) the certified lawyer relocates outside of Florida for more than 6 
continuous months; 
(E) the certified lawyer requests that the certification be terminated;  
(F) five years have elapsed since the certified lawyer was certified; or 
(G) the certified lawyer becomes a member of The Florida Bar by 
meeting all admission requirements to The Florida Bar. 
(2) Notice. Except on becoming a Florida Bar member by meeting all 
admission requirements, the certified lawyer must notify The Florida Bar in 
writing of any of the above events within 30 days of its occurrence, must 
simultaneously file in each matter pending before any court or tribunal a notice 
that the lawyer will no longer be involved in the case, and must provide written 
notice to all clients receiving representation from the lawyer that the lawyer 
will no longer represent them.  The Florida Bar will notify the Supreme Court 
of Florida and request that the certification be terminated. 
(b) Termination for Cause. 
(1) Generally.  The certification to practice law under this chapter will 
terminate if the certified lawyer: 
(A) fails to pay the annual renewal as required elsewhere in this 
chapter;  
(B) fails to meet the continuing education requirement as required 
elsewhere in this chapter;  
(C) takes and fails the Florida Bar Examination or the character and 
fitness investigation; or 
(D) is disbarred or suspended by another jurisdiction. 
(2) Notice. The Florida Bar will provide written notification to the certified 
lawyer and the Supreme Court of Florida of any of the above events within 30 
days of its occurrence.  On termination the lawyer must file in each matter 
pending before any court or tribunal a notice that the lawyer will no longer be 
involved in the case and must provide written notice to all of the lawyer’s 
clients that the lawyer will no longer represent them. 
 
 
 
 
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RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT RELATING TO ADMISSIONS 
TO THE BAR 
2-23.7 Military Spouse Fee. Applicants submitting an application under the 
Rules Regulating The Florida Bar for authorization to practice law in Florida as 
military spouses while their spouse is stationed within this jurisdiction must file 
with the Bar Application the fee of $1,000.  
Military spouses applying for full admission to The Florida Bar and not relying 
on the rules regarding authorization to practice law in Florida as a military spouse 
under the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar will be required to pay the appropriate 
fee under rules 2-23.2 or 2-23.4, whichever is applicable.