APR 1
             IN GENERAL; SUPREME COURT; PREREQUISITES
                 TO THE PRACTICE OF LAW; IMMUNITY

     (a) Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of Washington has the
     exclusive responsibility and the inherent power to establish
     the qualifications for admission to practice law, and to
     admit persons to practice law in this state. Any person
     carrying out the functions set forth in these rules is
     acting under the authority and at the direction of the
     Supreme Court.

     (b) Prerequisites to the Practice of Law. Except as may be
     otherwise provided in these rules, a person shall not appear
     as an attorney or counsel in any of the courts of the State
     of Washington, or practice law in this state, unless that
     person has passed the Washington State bar examination, has
     complied with the other requirements of these rules, and is
     an active member of the Washington State Bar Association
     (referred to in these rules as the Bar Association). A
     person shall be admitted to the practice of law and become
     an active member of the Bar Association only by order of the
     Supreme Court.

     (c) Communications to the Association. Communications to the
     Association, the Board of Governors, the Board of Bar
     Examiners, the Character and Fitness Board, the Law Clerk
     Board, mediators, mediation staff, or any other individual
     person, board, committee or other entity acting under
     authority of these rules, are absolutely privileged, and no
     lawsuit may be predicated thereon.

     [Amended effective September 1, 1984; September 1, 1999;
     September 1, 2005; September 1, 2006; January 2, 2008;
     January 13, 2009]