N.M. R. Bar Adm. 15-207

As amended through May 8, 2024

Rule 15-207 - Licensure

A.Recommendation and order. On determination that an applicant has qualified for admission, the board shall recommend admission to the Supreme Court, and identify whether the license is a limited license. On receipt of the board's recommendation, the Supreme Court may review an applicant's application and record, and if satisfied the applicant is qualified, enter an order granting the applicant admission subject to any limitations or conditional admission identified by the board or imposed by the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court is not satisfied an applicant is qualified, it may refuse the board's recommendation, set the matter for oral argument, remand the matter to the board for further proceedings, or take other action it deems appropriate.

B.Admitted applicants; roll of attorneys; swearing-in; deadline. An applicant who receives an order granting admission shall sign the roll of attorneys and be sworn-in using the oath in Rule 15-208 NMRA. Admitted applicants may be sworn-in and sign the roll of attorneys: (1) at a ceremony arranged by the board and Supreme Court, or (2) by making arrangements with the Clerk of the Supreme Court. All admitted applicants shall complete this process within six (6) months of the date of the order granting admission. If, before the expiration of this six (6) month deadline, the board receives a written request from an applicant showing good cause for an extension, the board may grant an extension. Any applicant who fails to complete the process by the deadline without timely extension shall be deemed to have withdrawn the application for admission.

As amended, effective 11/1/1994;7/24/1996; as amended by Supreme Court Order No. 11-8300-032, effective 9/1/2011; as amended by Supreme Court Order No. 15-8300-018, effective 11/1/2015; as amended by Supreme Court Order No. S-1-RCR-2023-00036, effective 12/31/2023.

ANNOTATIONS The 2015 amendment, approved by Supreme Court Order No. 15-8300-018, effective November 1, 2015, amended provisions regarding an unsuccessful applicant's right to inspect the applicant's test scores after a failed bar examination, reflecting New Mexico's adoption of the Uniform Bar Examination, and changed the score below the minimum passing score that requires the board of bar examiners to review and regrade a failed bar examination; in the introductory sentence of Paragraph A, after "MBE", deleted "MPRE and essay" and added "MEE, and MPT"; in Subparagraph A(1), after the first occurrence of "the", deleted "essay" and added "MEE and MPT"; in Subparagraph A(2), after "such", deleted "essay" and added "MEE and MPT"; in Paragraph B, after "No inspection of the", deleted "multi-state bar examination, multi-state performance test or the multi-state professional responsibility examination" and added "Multistate Bar Examination, Multistate Essay Examination, Multistate Performance Test, or the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination"; in Paragraph C, in the first sentence, after "to review", deleted "the applicant's grading to determine", in the second sentence, after "regrade as necessary the", added "MEE and MPT" and deleted "written", after "applicant whose", deleted "overall exam" and added "total UBE", after "within", deleted "three" and added "six (6)", and after "below the", added "minimum", and in the third sentence, after "The", added "total UBE". The 2011 amendment, approved by Supreme Court Order No. 11-8300-032, effective September 1, 2011, required a committee of the board to review and, if necessary, regrade the written answers of an applicant whose overall exam score is within three points below the passing score and provided that the score after regrade is the final score of the applicant. The 1996 amendment, effective July 24, 1996, in Paragraph B, inserted "multi-state performance test" near the beginning, and added "unless authorized by the National Conference of Bar Examiners" at the end. The 1994 amendment, effective November 1, 1994, deleted former Paragraph C, which read: "Copies; integrity of examinations. No applicant may procure copies of or remove the questions, the applicant's answers or the sample passing answers or engage in any conduct which will substantially endanger the fairness, confidentiality and integrity of examinations", redesignated former Paragraph D as Paragraph C, and made a gender neutral change in Paragraph C. Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. - Court review of bar examiners' decision on applicant's examination, 39 A.L.R.3d 719. Failed applicant's right of access to bar examination questions and answers, 57 A.L.R.4th 1212.