SB1148

THE CONTEXT: Arizona attorney licensing and regulation, including admission and discipline, are controlled by the Arizona Supreme Court. Admissions are handled through the Court s Attorney Admissions Unit, which processes applications and administers the Arizona Bar Examination.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would require the Supreme Court of Arizona to directly license attorneys for the practice of law in Arizona and restricts it from delegating the duty to any other organization, direct the Supreme Court to adopt rules regarding: a; minimum qualifications for licensure; b; testing requirements; c; requiring a background investigation before obtaining a license; and d; the process for disciplining and, if necessary, disbarring attorneys, and stipulate that an attorney must not be required to be a member of any non-governmental organization to become or remain a licensed attorney in Arizona.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to make the licensing pathway more workable while retaining a defined state standard. It would require the Supreme Court of Arizona to directly license attorneys for the practice of law in Arizona and restricts it from delegating the duty to any other organization, and would also direct the Supreme Court to adopt rules regarding: a. minimum qualifications for licensure; b. testing requirements; c. requiring a background investigation before obtaining a license; and d. the process for disciplining and, if necessary, disbarring attorneys, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.