IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON

At its public meeting on January 13, 2010, the court considered and approved amendments to the Bar Rules for Admission of Attorneys.  The rule changes were approved as by the Board of Bar Examiners' proposed amendments to rule 3.05 of the Rules for Admission of Attorneys.  Deleted text is stricken and new text is bold. 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the attached revised Oregon State Bar Rules for Admission of Attorneys are approved and effective immediately.

Dated this 14th day of January, 2010.

Paul J. De Muniz
Chief Justice

QUALIFICATIONS OF APPLICANTS

3.05                Qualifications of Applicants

Prior to taking the examination the applicant must show that the applicant will be at least 18 years of age at the time of admission to the practice of law and meet the requirements of either section (1), (2) or (3):

(1) The applicant is a graduate of a law school approved by the American Bar Association, earning a Juris Doctor degree or Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) degree.

(2) The applicant is a graduate of a law school in the United States, earning a Juris Doctor degree or Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) degree, and

(a) Has been admitted to practice before the highest tribunal of another state, the District of Columbia, or federal territory, where the requirements for admission are substantially equivalent to those of this state; and

(b)   Has been actively, substantially and continuously engaged in the practice of law for at least three of the five years immediately preceding the taking of the examination.

(3) The applicant is a graduate of a law school in a foreign jurisdiction, as defined in ORS 9.242(2).  In such case, the applicant shall have the burden of proving:  admitted to practice law in a foreign country where the common law of England exists as the basis of its jurisprudence. In such case, the applicant shall have the burden of proving:

(a)   That the requirements for admission to practice are substantially equivalent to those of this state; and

(b) That the applicant be admitted to practice law in a foreign jurisdiction where the Common Law of England exists as a basis of its jurisprudence; and

(c)   (b)That the applicant is a graduate of a law school equivalent to a law school approved by the American Bar Association.  The Board shall evaluate whether the applicant’s law school meets this above requirement. To assist in this determination, the Board may require that the applicant’s law school education be evaluated by a commercial evaluator of the Board’s choosing at the applicant’s expense.

The Board, after reviewing the recommendation of an equivalency panel composed of representatives of Oregon ABA-approved law schools, shall determine whether the law school is equivalent to an ABA-approved law school for the purposes of this rule. The academic dean of each participating law school shall designate a member of its faculty to sit on the equivalency panel. An evaluation fee may be set by the Board and charged to each applicant seeking an equivalency determination. The fee shall accompany the applicant’s request for admission.