Title: In Re: Amendments To Rules of The Supreme Court Relating To Admissions To The Bar
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SC10-979
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: December 9, 2010

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC10-979 
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IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT 
RELATING TO ADMISSIONS TO THE BAR. 
 
[December 9, 2010] 
 
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.  See art. V, § 15, Fla. Const. 
 
At the Court’s request, the Florida Board of Bar Examiners (Board) has filed 
this petition to amend rule 4-22 (Part A), of the Rules of the Supreme Court 
Relating to Admissions to the Bar (Bar Admission Rules).  Rule 4-22 describes the 
components of “Part A” or the Florida-prepared portion of the General Bar 
Examination, which is administered to individuals who seek admission to The 
Florida Bar.1  The amendments at issue in this case incorporate recommendations 
                                          
 
 
1.  The Florida Bar Examination currently includes both the General Bar 
Examination and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination.  See Fla. 
Bar Admiss. R. 4-11.  The General Bar Examination consists of two parts.  See 
 
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from the Florida Board of Bar Examiners Testing Commission (Commission), the 
Board, and the Court.  The Board has unanimously approved the amendments 
proposed.  The amendments were also published in the July 1, 2010, edition of The 
Florida Bar News for comment; none were received. 
 
Upon consideration, we amend Rule 4-22 (Part A) as follows.  In the 
opening paragraph of the rule, the Court amends the citations to the Rules of 
Judicial Administration to reflect the correct rule numbers.2  The opening 
paragraph is also amended to increase, from two to three, the number of subjects 
that may be tested in each of five segments in Part A of the General Bar Exam.  
Additionally, subsection (c) is renamed “business entities,” to eliminate the 
specific reference to corporations and partnerships and to broaden the topics that 
can be tested within this subject.  Subsection (i), which currently refers to criminal 
law, is amended to include the new subjects of constitutional criminal procedure 
and juvenile delinquency.  A new subsection (k) is added to include as a test 
subject Articles 3 and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code; the subsections that 
                                                                                                                                        
Fla. Bar Admiss. R. 4-20.  Part A is developed by the Board and includes a 
combination of essay and multiple choice questions.  Id.  Part B is the Multistate 
Bar Examination and is developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.  
Id.; see also Fla. Bar Admiss. R. 4-23. 
 
2.  See In re Amendments to the Fla. Rules of Judicial Admin. – 
Reorganization of the Rules, 939 So. 2d 966 (Fla. 2006) (reorganizing and 
renumbering the Rules of Judicial Administration). 
 
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follow (k) are re-lettered accordingly.  Subsection (l), formerly subsection (k), 
which currently lists family law, is amended to include the new subject of 
dependency.  Finally, new subsection (o) is added to include the new subject of 
professionalism. 
 
Accordingly, we amend the Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to 
Admissions to the Bar as reflected in the appendix to this opinion.  The new 
language is indicated by underscoring; deletions are indicated by struck-through 
type.  These amendments shall take effect immediately upon the release of this 
opinion and will apply prospectively only, except that the amendments to 
subsections (c), (i), (k), (l), and (o), which add new test subjects, shall take effect 
two years from the date of this opinion. 
 
It is so ordered. 
CANADY, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, POLSTON, LABARGA, 
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 
 
J. Jeffry Wahlen, Chair, Michele A. Gavagni, Executive Director, and Thomas A. 
Pobjecky, General Counsel, Florida Board of Bar Examiners, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
 
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 2.051, 2.060, and 2.1602.330, 2.420, 
2.505 and 2.515.  The remaining 5 segments, each of which will include no more 
than 23 subjects, will be selected from the following subjects including their 
equitable aspects: 
(a) 
Florida constitutional law; 
(b) 
federal constitutional law; 
(c) 
business entities including corporations and partnerships; 
(d) 
wills and administration of estates; 
(e) 
trusts; 
(f) 
real property; 
(g) 
evidence; 
(h) 
torts; 
(i) 
criminal law, constitutional criminal procedure, and juvenile 
delinquency; 
(j) 
contracts; 
(k) 
Articles 3 and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code; 
(k)(l) family law and dependency; 
(l)(m) Chapter 4, Rules of Professional Conduct of the Rules Regulating The 
Florida Bar; and 
(m)(n) 
Chapter 5, Rules Regulating Trust Accounts of the Rules 
Regulating The Florida Bar.; and  
(o) 
professionalism.