Opinion
ADM10-8008
02-25-2020
ORDER PROMULGATING AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES FOR ADMISSION TO THE BAR
The Minnesota State Board of Law Examiners filed a petition on November 21, 2019, proposing amendments to the rules that govern applications for admission to the bar without examination, see Minn. R. Admission to the Bar 7B-7C, and to the rules that govern the permitted refund or carry-over of application fees, see Minn. R. Admission to the Bar 12I-12J. We opened a public comment period. No comments were filed.
We have reviewed the Board's recommended amendments and the reasons for those recommendations. We agree with the Board that the proposed amendments will provide consistency in the application process.
Based upon all the files, records, and proceedings herein,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the attached amendments to the Rules for Admission to the Bar be, and the same are, prescribed and promulgated to be effective as of April 1, 2020, for applications made under Rule 7 of the Rules for Admission to the Bar, or for refund or fee requests made under Rule 12I-J of the Rules for Admission to the Bar, on or after that date.
Dated: February 25, 2020
BY THE COURT:
/s/
Lorie S. Gildea
Chief Justice
AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES FOR ADMISSION TO THE BAR
[Note: In the following amendments , deletions are indicated by a line drawn through the words and additions are indicated by a line drawn under the words.]
RULE 7. ADMISSION WITHOUT EXAMINATION
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B. Eligibility for Admission by MBE Score. An applicant may be eligible for admission without examination under Rule 4A(4) if the applicant has received a scaled score of 145 or higher on the MBE taken as a part of and at the same time as the essay or other part of a written bar examination given by another jurisdiction, was successful on that bar examination, and was subsequently admitted in that jurisdiction. The applicant shall submit evidence of the score and a completed application to the Board within 36 24 months of the date of the qualifying examination being used as the basis for the admission.
C. Eligibility for Admission by UBE Score. An applicant may be eligible for admission without examination under Rule 4A(4) if the applicant has received a scaled score of 260 or higher earned in another jurisdiction on the UBE and the score is certified as a UBE score by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
(1) Application Deadline. The applicant shall submit evidence of the score and a complete application for admission to the Board within 36 months of the date of the qualifying examination being used as the basis for the admission.
(2) Concurrent Application. An applicant may submit the application prior to obtaining the qualifying UBE score by enclosing with the application evidence that the applicant is registered for the next administration of the UBE or is awaiting examination results in a UBE jurisdiction. An applicant who has applied under this rule must submit evidence of a qualifying UBE score within 12 months of the date the application is received or the applicant will be deemed ineligible and the file closed.
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RULE 12. FEES
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I. Refunds of Fees.
(1) Bar Examination Applications. An applicant who submits a written request to withdraw a bar examination application 15 or more days before the examination for which the applicant applied shall receive a refund in the amount of:
(1 a) $150, if the fee paid was in an amount specified by either Rule 12B or Rule 12E; or
(2 b) $300, if the fee paid was in an amount specified by Rule 12C.
(2) An applicant who is declared ineligible under Rule 7A, 9, or 10 and who submits a written request for refund within 30 days of notice of ineligibility shall receive a refund in the amount of $300.
(3) No other requests for refund will be granted.
J. Carry-over of Fees.
(1) Applicants Ineligible Under Rules 7A, 9, and 10 (Admission Without Examination). The fee of an applicant declared ineligible under Rule 7A, 9, or 10 (Admission Without Examination) shall, upon the applicant's written request, be applied to:
(a) An examination held within the succeeding 15 months; or
(b) An application made under Rules 8 or , 9, or 10. The written request must be received by the Board within 30 days of notice of the denial. No other carry-over of fees, other than those provided for in the following paragraph, shall be granted.
(2) Medical Emergencies. An applicant who notifies the Board prior to the examination that the applicant is unable to take the examination due to a medical emergency, death in the family, or similar exceptional circumstances, and who notifies the Board in writing or by telephone prior to the start of the examination, may request carry-over of the application fee to the next examination. The carry-over Such requests must be made in writing, received in the Board office no later than 14 days following the examination, and be accompanied by written documentation of the medical emergency. The applicant shall submit a fee of $50 when reapplying for the next examination.