Bar Oversight and Regulation Resource Guide

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Resource Guide

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The process of becoming a lawyer is a rigorous one, from the law school admission process to the licensing board of bar examiners. While some states have separate agencies to oversee the conduct of individuals once they are admitted to the bar, codes of professional conduct are usually enforced by the state supreme court through a state bar, bar association, or ethics unit.

Links to related online resources are listed below. Non-digitized publications may be borrowed from the NCSC Library; call numbers are provided.

Admission to the Bar

ABA Approved Law Schools. American Bar Association The link includes information on provisionally approved law schools, law schools on probation, and the ratings of law schools.

Bar Admissions Requirements. American Bar Association Available via this page is the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements, 2010 edition. The web site includes information on bar requirements, character and fitness determinations, and admission fees.

National Conference of Bar Examiners. www.ncbex.org/ Formed in 1931, the National Conference of Bar Examiners provides many functions for the preservation of the law practice.

Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar. American Bar Association The web site contains information on the status of law schools and admission to the bar.

Stampelos, Charles A. The Florida Board of Bar Examiners: The Use of and Rehabilitation at Formal Hearings. (May 2000). Florida Bar Journal 74, no. 5: 54 This article discusses the possible routes state bar character and fitness tests can go. It offers suggestions on what to do if a particular situation arises which may prevent being accepted by the bar.

Malpractice

Kunzke, Katja, and Mitchell A. Orpett. Insurance Options for the Solo. (April 2003). GPSolo 20, no. 3 This article focuses on the types of insurance options solo lawyers may want to consider.

Towery, James E. Should Disclosure of Malpractice Insurance Be Mandatory?. (April 2003). GPSolo 20, no. 3 This article discusses the trend of state supreme courts to adopt rules of professional conduct requiring lawyers who lack malpractice insurance to be upfront with clients and disclose that information.

Standing Committee on Lawyers` Professional Responsibility. American Bar Association This web site includes information on insurance options, publications, and continuing legal education.

Hartley, Mary Kathleen. Top Trends in Malpractice. (April 2003). GPSolo 20, no. 3 This article describes the different areas of malpractice, including the usual injury claims and divorces cases as well as newer trends, such as multiparty cases with large damages. It also discusses some of the problems the can prevent a lawyer from filing paperwork on time.