Bill Text: TX HB220 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a person's eligibility to take the state's bar examination and to supreme court approval of law schools for the purpose of establishing eligibility.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-13 - Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence [HB220 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB220-Introduced.html
85R2108 MM-D | ||
By: Johnson of Dallas | H.B. No. 220 |
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relating to a person's eligibility to take the state's bar | ||
examination and to supreme court approval of law schools for the | ||
purpose of establishing eligibility. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 82.024, Government Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 82.024. LAW STUDY REQUIREMENTS; ELIGIBILITY FOR | ||
EXAMINATION. (a) A person who has completed the prescribed study | ||
in an approved law school has satisfied the law study requirements | ||
for taking the examination for a license to practice law and is | ||
eligible to take the bar examination. | ||
(b) An approved law school is one that is approved by the | ||
supreme court under Section 82.025 or other law for the [ |
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period designated by the court as maintaining the additional | ||
standards to retain approval. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 82, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 82.0242 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 82.0242. LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES; ELIGIBILITY FOR | ||
EXAMINATION. (a) Notwithstanding Section 82.0241, a person who | ||
graduates from a law school at an institution of higher education, | ||
as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, is eligible to take | ||
the state's bar examination regardless of whether the person has | ||
completed law study in an approved law school as required by Section | ||
82.024 if the person satisfies all other requirements to be | ||
eligible to take the examination. | ||
(b) The same procedures and deadlines apply to a person | ||
eligible to take the state's bar examination under this section as | ||
apply to a person who has completed the law study requirements in | ||
Section 82.024. | ||
SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 82, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 82.025 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 82.025. LAW SCHOOL APPROVAL. The supreme court shall | ||
adopt rules and procedures for a law school to become an approved | ||
law school for purposes of Section 82.024. Rules and procedures | ||
adopted under this section must provide for the supreme court's | ||
approval of a law school at an institution of higher education, as | ||
defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, regardless of whether | ||
the law school is approved by the American Bar Association. | ||
SECTION 4. Not later than September 1, 2018, the Supreme | ||
Court of Texas shall adopt rules and procedures necessary to | ||
implement Section 82.025, Government Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |