Court Opinion

ID: 9395215
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-17 15:07:26.32608+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:19:06.248004
License: Public Domain

05/17/2023

          IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA                                  D
                                                                                      Case Number: PR 06-0422

                                       PR 06-0422                             MAY 1 6 2023
                                                                            Bowen Greenwood
                                                                          Clerk of Supreme Court
 IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF                                            State of Montana

 BERNADETTE FRANKS-ONGOY FOR                                        ORDER
 WAIVER OF MULTISTATE PROFESSIONAL
 RESPONSIBILITY EXAMINATION

      Bernadette Franks-Ongoy has petitioned the Court for waiver of the requirement to
take and pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) for purposes
of Franks-Ongoy's intended admission upon motion to the State Bar of Montana. By rule,
"[a]ll applicants for admission to the State Bar of Montana must pass the Multistate
Professional Responsibility Examination." Rule HI, Rules for Admission to the Bar of
Montana. Franks-Ongoy is a member of the Hawaii State Bar but apparently has not
previously taken the MPRE. While the Court routinely waives the requirement that the
MPRE be taken and passed within three years of the application for admission, Rule VII(A),
Rules for Admission, for applicants who have previously taken the exam, the Court is
unable to waive the MPRE requirement altogether. Therefore,
       IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the petition of Bernadette Franks-Ongoy for waiver
of the requirement to pass the MPRE for purposes of admission by motion to the State Bar
of Montana is DENIED.
       The Clerk shall mail a copy of this order to Petitioner and to the Administrator of
the Board of Bar Examiners at the State Bar of Montana.
       DATED this I kz lay of May, 2023.

                                                          Chief Justice
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