FIRST REGULAR SESSION
94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES BEARDEN (Sponsor), JETTON, MUSCHANY, DIXON, PORTWOOD, NIEVES, SILVEY, HUNTER, WASSON, RICHARD, QUINN (7), SMITH (14), HOBBS, SCHOELLER, LEMBKE, TILLEY, HUBBARD, RUESTMAN, CUNNINGHAM (145), THRELKELD, KRAUS, COOPER (120), SMITH (150), JONES (89) AND ICET (Co-sponsors).
Read 1st time March 27, 2007 and copies ordered printed.
D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To amend supreme court rule 8.07, for the purpose of clarifying applicants for bar examination.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Missouri supreme court rule 8.07 is amended to read as follows:
8.07 Application for Bar Examination
(a) Every applicant for admission to the bar by examination shall file with the clerk of this Court an application for bar examination in the form prescribed by the board. In order to be timely filed, an application shall be properly postmarked or received on or before March 15 for the July examination and on or before the prior October 15 for the February examination.
For applicants who failed the most recent examination and are applying for the next scheduled examination, the application shall be properly postmarked or received on or before May 15 for the July examination and on or before the prior October 15 for the February examination in order to be timely filed.
The prescribed fee, which is nonrefundable, shall accompany the application.
(b) Subject to payment of an increased fee as set out in the prescribed fee schedule, an application submitted after the timely filing date prescribed in Rule 8.07(a) will be accepted if it is postmarked or received no later than May 31 for the July examination or December 31 for the February examination. An application not postmarked or received by May 31 for the July examination or by December 31 for the February examination will not be accepted.
(c) Except as provided in Rule 8.07(d) or Rule 8.07(e), no person shall be eligible to take the bar examination until such person shall have met all the requirements for graduation with a juris doctorate degree from a law school approved by the American Bar Association. No applicant for admission by examination shall be certified for admission until the juris doctorate degree has been conferred. Proof that the requirements of this Rule 8.07(c) have been met shall be provided in such form and at such time as the board requires.
(d) An applicant who has been admitted to practice in the highest court of another state or territory but who fails to meet the requirement set out in Rule 8.07(c) may, in the discretion of the board, be permitted to take the bar examination upon furnishing satisfactory evidence that the applicant for at least five years has:
(1) Been lawfully engaged in the full-time practice of law in states or territories of the United States where the applicant was licensed to practice;
(2) Served full-time as a lawyer with the United States government or its armed forces; or
(3) Taught full-time at a law school approved by the American Bar Association.
(e) An applicant who has served at least eight years as a member of the Missouri general assembly shall be permitted to take the bar examination.
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