APR - 20, 20.1, 21, 22.1, 22.2, 23, 23.1, 23.2, 23.4, 23.5, 24.1, 24.2, 24.3, 25.1, 25.2, 25.3, 25.4, 25.5, 25.6

• Proposed Changes to APR - 20, 20.1, 21, 22.1, 22.2, 23, 23.1, 23.2, 23.4, 23.5, 24.1, 24.2, 24.3, 25.1, 25.2, 25.3, 25.4, 25.5, 25.6 (in Word Format)
• No comments are available at this time.

GR 9 Cover Sheet

Suggested Amendments

ADMISSION AND PRACTICE RULES (APR)

Rules 20 through 25.6.

Submitted by the Washington State Bar Association

A. Name of Proponent:

Washington State Bar Association

Robin L. Haynes, President

B. Spokesperson:

Paula C. Littlewood, Executive Director

Jean K. McElroy, General Counsel/Chief Regulatory Counsel

C. Purpose:

Because APR 20-25.6 were amended effective September 1, 2016, these rules all relate to the Character and Fitness review and hearing process, and there are very few substantive suggested amendments, one GR 9 Cover Sheet is being submitted to address suggested amendments to all of these rules.

The primary purpose of the suggested amendments to APR 20-25.6 is to incorporate all applicants into the same process, regardless of the program or license for which the applicant is applying. Accordingly, applications for the educational alternative to law school, the APR 6 Law Clerk Program, and for admission to practice and licensing as a Limited Practice Officer (LPO) or Limited License Legal Technician (LLLT), would be specifically identified as being covered by these rules. Rather than maintaining the expense and administrative burden of three separate processes for three different license types, combining them into the same process would ease administrative burdens, simplify processes, and reduce costs and expenses.

Additional suggested non-substantive amendments throughout would include inserting the title of the Character and Fitness Board, to clearly identify the Board to which the rules are intended to apply (because some of this responsibility would be shifted away from the LLLT and LP Boards), and to conform terminology with other suggested amendments to the APR.

There are a few substantive changes, individually addressed below.

APR 20(g)

The suggested amendment would assist with coordinating terminology among the license types by stating that the words “disbarred” or “disbarment” when used in APR 20-25.6 would include “revoked” or “revocation” when referring to LLLT and LPO licenses.

APR 22.1(c) and APR 23.1(5)

The suggested amendments to these rules would move the subpoena powers from APR 7 (consistent with the suggested amendments to that rule) to APR 22.1(c) and APR 23.1(5), for bar counsel and the character and fitness board respectively.

APR 25.6(a)

The suggested amendment would clarify that in addition to the requirement to retake the relevant licensing examination, an approved applicant would be required to pay the annual active license fee and any mandatory assessments required for the particular license type.

D. Supporting Material:

http://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/2016APRCoverLetterToCourt.pdf