Texas Supreme Court Order - 14-9113 - Order Adopting Amendments to the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick

Order of the Supreme Court of Texas in Misc. Docket No. 14-9113 adopts amendments to multiple sections of the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas, effective October 1, 2014. The Clerk must file and distribute the order through official channels, including the Texas Bar Journal, the Texas Register, and notices to the Legislature and Bar members. The amendments may be revised after public comments submitted before September 1, 2014, to Rules Attorney Martha Newton.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Order Adopting Amendments to the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas

Effective date and required filings

Public comment period and submission address

Rule I Definitions and General Provisions

~~ ~~ IN THE SUPREME COURT OF TEXAS ~~ ~~ Misc. Docket No. 14-9113 ORDER ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES GOVERNING ADMISSION TO THE BAR OF TEXAS ORDERED that: 1. The Supreme Court of Texas amends Rules I, II, III, XIII, XIV, XVII, and XIX of the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas, effective October 1, 2014. 2. The Clerk is directed to: a. file a copy of this order with the Secretary of State; b. cause a copy of this order to be mailed to each registered member of the State Bar of Texas by publication in the Texas Bar Journal; c. send a copy of this order to each elected member of the Legislature; and d. submit a copy of the order for publication in the Texas Register. 3. These amendments may be changed in response to public comments received before September 1, 2014. Any interested party may submit written comments to Rules Attorney Martha Newton at [rulescomments@txcourts.gov](rulescomments@txcourts.gov). Dated: June 9, 2014 Nathan L. Hecht, Chief Justice Paul W. Green, Justice Phil Johnson, Justice Don R. Willett, Justice Eva M. Guzman, Justice Debra H. Lehrmann, Justice Jeffrey S. Boyd, Justice John P. Devine, Justice Jeffrey V. Brown, Justice Amendments to Rule I, Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas Rule I Definitions and General Provisions (a) Frequently used terms are defined as follows: (1) “Accredited” means that a law school is recognized as being qualified by the competent accrediting agency of a state or foreign jurisdiction, by a political subdivision of a state or foreign jurisdiction, or by another authorized body of a state or foreign jurisdiction. (~~ 1~~2) “Applicant” ~~shall~~ means a person who files with the Board any Application or Re-application to take the Texas Bar Examination, to be admitted without examination, or for Certification as a Foreign Legal Consultant. (~~2~~3) “Application” ~~shall~~ means an Application or Re-application to take the Texas Bar Examination, to be admitted without examination to the Texas Bar, or for Certification as a Foreign Legal Consultant. (~~3~~4) “Approved law school” ~~shall~~ means a law school approved by the American Bar Association. (5) “Authorized to practice law” means that the Applicant has achieved the ability to engage in activities that would be recognized in the United States as the practice of law. (~~4~~6) “Board” ~~shall~~ means the Board of Law Examiners. (~~5~~7) “Chemical dependency” ~~shall~~ means substance abuse or dependency as defined by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual DSM-IV-TR and any subsequent revisions thereof. 642 Texas Bar Journal • July 2014 [texasbar.com](texasbar.com) (~~6~~8) “Controlled substance” ~~shall have~~ has the meaning assigned by Section 462.001, Health and Safety Code. (~~7~~9) “Declarant” ~~shall~~ means a person who files with the Board a Declaration of Intention to Study Law. (~~8~~10) “Declaration” ~~shall~~ means a Declaration of Intention to Study Law. (11) “Practice of law” includes: (A) private practice as a sole practitioner or for a law firm, legal services office, legal clinic, public agency, or similar entity; (B) practice as an attorney for an individual or for a corporation, partnership, trust, or other entity with the primary duties of furnishing legal counsel and advice; drafting and interpreting legal documents and pleadings; interpreting and giving advice regarding the law; or preparing, trying, or presenting cases before courts, departments of government, or administrative agencies; (C) practice as an attorney for a local government or the state or federal government, with the same primary duties described in the preceding subsection; (D) employment as a judge, magistrate, referee, or similar official for a local government or the state or federal government, provided that the employment is open only to licensed attorneys; (E) employment as a full-time teache

FAQs

When do the amended rules take effect?

The amendments to the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas take effect on October 1, 2014.

What actions must the Clerk take after the order is issued?

The Clerk must file a copy with the Secretary of State, publish a copy in the Texas Bar Journal for registered Bar members, send a copy to elected members of the Legislature, and submit a copy for publication in the Texas Register.

How can the public comment on the amendments, and when is the deadline?

Interested parties may submit written comments to Rules Attorney Martha Newton, and the amendments may be changed in response to comments received before September 1, 2014.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick