Opinion ID: 2561940
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: Rost concedes that [a]ny attorney admitted to practice law in this state and any attorney specially admitted by a court of this state for a particular proceeding is subject to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the authority hereinafter established by these Rules. Supreme Court Rule 201(a) (2008 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 261). He does not deny that he was admitted to practice law in this state in 1966. However, he crafts an argument, based upon the provisions of Supreme Court Rules 208(a) and (f)(1) (2008 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 307), that he ceased to be admitted to practice law when he registered as a retired attorney. Specifically, Rost points to the provision in Rule 208(a) which permits an attorney to register as active; inactive; retired; or disabled due to mental or physical disabilities, and the following requirement that [o]nly attorneys registered as active may practice law in Kansas. 2008 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 307. Likewise, Rost notes that Rule 208(f)(1) declares that [a]n attorney who has registered as retired, ... shall not be eligible to practice law in this state. 2008 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 308. He then argues that because an attorney registered as retired is not permitted to practice law, such an attorney is not admitted to practice law within the meaning of the jurisdictional provisions of Rule 201(a). We disagree with the suggestion that an attorney loses his or her hard-earned status as an admitted Kansas attorney simply by registering as anything other than active. First, Rost ignores that our Rules Relating to Admission of Attorneys are set forth in Rules 701 through 710, inclusive (2008 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 705-726). Most applicants for admission are governed by Rule 704 (2008 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 710), entitled Admission to the Bar Upon Written Examination. Those applicants must demonstrate that they are of good moral character, possessed of the requisite general education, and otherwise qualified to be examined, prior to taking a written examination to demonstrate their knowledge of the law. Rule 704(c) (2008 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 711). Then, if an applicant successfully passes the bar examination, the Supreme Court issues an order of admission, which becomes effective upon the taking of an oath. Only after successfully clearing the hurdles to obtain admission to the Kansas bar, via Kansas Supreme Court order, is an attorney subject to Rule 208's requirement to annually register with the Clerk of the Appellate Court. Apparently, Rost overlooks the first sentence of Rule 208(a), which specifies that [a]ll attorneys ... admitted to the practice of law before the Supreme Court of the State of Kansas shall annually, ... register with the Clerk of the Appellate Courts.... (Emphasis added.) 2008 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 307. Such language contemplates that there is a distinction between initially obtaining an order of admission from the Kansas Supreme Court and registering a status with the Clerk of the Appellate Court which provides a current eligibility to actively practice law. Moreover, an attorney's unilateral action does not rescind the Supreme Court's order of admission. For instance, when an attorney voluntarily surrenders his or her license to practice law, the Supreme Court responds with an order of disbarment which directs that the attorney's name be stricken from the roll of attorneys admitted to practice in this state. See Supreme Court Rule 217 (2008 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 343). Rule 208 does not require a Supreme Court order to permit an attorney to register on retired status with the Clerk of the Appellate Court and that act does not affect the order admitting the attorney to practice law in this state or effect a removal of the attorney's name from the roll of admitted attorneys. Just as telling, Rule 208(f)(1) does not require a retired attorney to comply with the provisions of Rules 701 et seq., relating to the admission of attorneys, in order to be reinstated to active status. Accordingly, we hold that an attorney who has been admitted to practice law in the state of Kansas by order of the Supreme Court, but who has registered with the Clerk of the Appellate Courts as being on retired status, remains subject to the Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct and subject to the enforcement of those rules by the Supreme Court and its designees.