An Act to Remove Barners to Becommg a Lawyer
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1352
Committee Amendment CA_A_SA_A_S438 (Senate)

SENATE AMEND1\1ENT "A "to COMJvllTTEE AMENDMENT "A" to HP 866, 
L D 1352, "An Act to Remove Barners to Becommg a Lawyer" 
Amend the amendment m section 2 m §803-A by stnkmg out all of subsection 2 (page 
2, Imes 21 to 26 m amendment) and msertmg the followmg 
'2. Educat10n prior to law office study. Before begmnmg a law office study program 
under subsect10n 3, an applicant under this section shall produce to the board sat1sfact01y 
evidence that the applicant has graduated with a bachelor's degree from an accredited 
college or un1vers1ty m this country or has graduated with a bachelor's degree from a 
college or umvers1ty m another country that 1s accredited under the laws of that country ' 
Amend the amendment m sect10n 2 m §803-A m subsection 3 by stnkmg out all of 
paragraph A (page 2, Imes 29 to 39 m amendment) and msertmg the followmg 
'A Pursued a systematic course of legal study designed to prepare the applicant for 
the general practice of law for at least 4 years m the office of and under the superv1s1on 
of a mdge or an attorney m this State who has been a member of the bar m good 
standmg for at least 3 years before the applicant's course of legal study began and who 
has been designated as qualified to supervise a systematic course of legal study 
pursuant to rules adopted by the Board of Overseers of the Bar The course of legal 
study must be approved by the Board of Overseers of the Bar pursuant to rules adopted 
by the Board of Overseers of the Bar and must mclude, at a mm1mum, a study of the 
sub1ects tested on each of the exammations prepared or adopted by the board to 
determme 1f an applicant has the gualificat1ons regurred by this chapter for adm1ss1on 
to the bar The superv1smg mdge or attorney may enlist the assistance of other mdges 
0 
and attorneys who have been designated as qualified to supervise a systematic course 
of legal study pursuant to rules adopted by the Board of Overseers of the Bar to provide 
additional superv1s1on for the applicant durmg portions of the applicant's course of 
legal study for purposes of prov1dmg the applicant with the greatest possible breadth 
of expenence and mstruct1on,' 
Amend the amendment by relettermg or renumbermg any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively 
Page I - 131LR1355(04) 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
SENATE AMENDMENT" ,4» to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to HP 866, L D 1352 (5~ 'f3t) 
SUMMARY 
This amendment amends the provisions of Committee Amendment "A" that set out 
requirements for an applicant for a law office study program This amendment retams the 
prov1S1on that allows the applicant to have graduated with a bachelor's degree from an 
accredited college or umversity m this country or m another country that is accredited under 
the laws of that country but elimmates the alternative that an applicant work as a paralegal 
for the equivalent of 4 years on a full-trme basis With respect to the course of legal study 
required by Committee Amendment "A", this amendment requires a supervismgJudge or 
attorney to have been designated as qualified to supervise a systematic course of legal study 
pursuant to rules adopted by the Board of Overseers of the Bar and requires that the course 
of legal study be approved by the Board of Overseers of the Bar pursuant to rules adopted 
by the Board of Overseers of the Bar 
. 
) 
SPONSORED BY: 
dhq,{L{ 
(Senator BALDAcj'1, J) 
COUNTY: Penobscot 
~' lSCAL NOTE REQUIREll 
(See attached) 
SENATE AMENDMENT