Order Amending Rules of Admission to the Bar and the Discipline of Attorneys - Indiana Supreme Court Cause No. 21S-MS-19

Sep 21, 2026

Indiana Supreme Court Order Amending Rules of Admission to the Bar and the Discipline of Attorneys, Cause No. 21S-MS-19, modifies Indiana’s rules governing attorney admission and discipline under the Indiana Constitution. The order addresses amendments across multiple rules, including provisional licenses for applicants admitted in other jurisdictions, business counsel licensing without examination, and conditions for temporary licenses for specific legal roles. It also revises review and appeal procedures for bar examination outcomes, including eligibility based on scaled scores, written requests, reviewer designation, and timelines.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Rule 6. Admission on Foreign License

Section 1. Provisional License

Section 2. Business Counsel License

Rule 6.1 Temporary License for Clinical Faculty, Legal Services, Public Defender, and Pro Bono Representation

Section 2. Conditions and Limitations on Practice Under Temporary License

Rule 14. Review

Section 1. Review and Appeal Process

Section 2. Petition for Supreme Court Review

Rule 17. Admission Upon Examinations

In the Indiana Supreme Court Cause No. 21S-MS-19 Order Amending Rules of Admission to the Bar and the Discipline of Attorneys Under the authority vested in this Court pursuant to Article 7, Section 4 of the Indiana Constitution providing for the admission and discipline of attorneys in this state, the Indiana Rules for Admission to the Bar and the Discipline of Attorneys are amended as follows (deletions shown by ~~striking~~ and new text shown by underlining): . . . Rule 6. Admission on Foreign License Section 1. Provisional License A person who has been admitted to practice law in the highest court of law in any other state (herein defined as state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia), maybe granted a provisional license to practice law in Indiana upon a finding by the State Board of Law Examiners that said person has met each of the following conditions: . . . (g) The applicant has not failed the Indiana ~~B~~bar examination or scored below 264 on the Uniform Bar Examination (whether administered in Indiana or another jurisdiction) within five (5) years of the date of application. . . . Section 2. Business Counsel License A person who establishes an office or other systematic and continuous presence in Indiana in order to accept or continue employment by a person or entity engaged in business in Indiana other than the practice of law may be granted a business counsel license to practice law in Indiana without examination so long as granting the license is in the public interest and such person: (f) has not failed the Indiana ~~B~~bar examination or scored below 264 on the Uniform Bar Examination (whether administered in Indiana or another jurisdiction) within five (5) years of the date of the application. . . . Rule 6.1 Temporary License for Clinical Faculty, Legal Services, Public Defender, and Pro Bono Representation . . . Section 2. Conditions and Limitations on Practice Under Temporary License . . . (c) The temporary license issued under this rule shall expire on the earliest of the following dates: . . . (2) the date the person's application for the Indiana bar is denied for any reason, including but not limited to failing to achieve a passing score on a qualifying ~~the~~ bar examination or failing to satisfy character and fitness or other eligibility requirements; . . . Rule 14. Review ~~Review of final action by the State Board of Law Examiners shall be as follows:~~ Section 1. ~~The State Board of Law Examiners shall adopt such procedure for review of an applicant, aggrieved by failure of said board to award said applicant a satisfactory grade upon the bar examination, as shall be approved by the Supreme Court of Indiana~~.~~ All applicants who have achieved a combined scaled score of 255 to 263 shall be eligible to appeal~~.~~ The eligible examinees must make a written request to appeal on forms provided by the Board within fourteen (14) days of the issuance by the Board of the eligible examinee's results~~.~~ No response other than the written request to appeal is permitted~~.~~ The President of the Board shall designate certain of the Board's members as Appeals Reviewers~~.~~ The Appeals Reviewers shall consider and decide all appeals of bar examination results~~.~~ In the appeals process, all of an eligible examinee's responses shall be subject to review by the Appeals Reviewers~~.~~ Multistate Bar Examination scores will also be available to the Appeals Reviewers~~.~~ Eligible examinees that are deemed to have passed after review shall be treated as having passed that administration of the Indiana Bar Examination~~.~~ No change in score shall be effectuated~~. Before the release of the results of the Indiana bar examination, the Board of Law Examiners shall review the written answers ofall applicants who are within five (5) points of achieving a passing score of 264 on the examination to confirm that the written answers have been

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Indiana Supreme Court order in Cause No. 21S-MS-19?

The order amends the Indiana Rules for Admission to the Bar and the Discipline of Attorneys. It updates requirements and procedures for admitting and reviewing applicants.

How does the order address provisional licenses for applicants already admitted in other states or territories?

It allows a provisional license upon conditions found by the State Board of Law Examiners, including that the applicant has not previously failed the Indiana bar examination or scored below 264 on the Uniform Bar Examination within five years.

What review and appeal process does the order establish for certain bar examination results?

It sets eligibility for appeal for examinees with combined scaled scores of 255 to 263, requires a written request within fourteen days, limits responses to the request, and describes how Appeals Reviewers consider and decide appeals.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Emma Mercer