71st OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2001 Regular Session
 
NOTE:  Matter within  { +  braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within  { -  braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
 { +  braces and plus signs + } .
 
LC 3295
 
                         House Bill 2946
 
Sponsored by COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
 
 
                             SUMMARY
 
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.
 
  Directs Chief Justice to create task force to study admission
of person to practice of law in this state without passage of bar
examination if person is admitted to practice of law in another
state and other state allows admission of Oregon attorneys on
like basis.
 
                        A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to attorneys.
  Whereas business activities and legal issues increasingly cross
state lines; and
  Whereas limitations on the ability of attorneys to work in more
than one state impose substantial obstacles to effective
representation of clients; and
  Whereas many states allow attorneys admitted in other states to
practice law without passage of a bar examination, or with
reduced requirements for examination; and
  Whereas Oregon should allow practice in this state by persons
who have been admitted to practice in another state if the state
in which the attorney has been admitted accords similar treatment
for Oregon attorneys; and
  Whereas reciprocal admission of attorneys admitted to practice
in other states is a complex and difficult issue that requires
careful consideration by the Supreme Court and the Legislative
Assembly; now, therefore,
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
  SECTION 1.  { + (1) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
shall establish a task force to study whether and under what
circumstances an attorney who has been admitted to practice in
another state may be admitted to the practice of law in this
state under a policy of reciprocal admissions. The task force
shall consider whether such admission could be allowed without
requiring that the attorney pass the bar examination required
under ORS 9.220, or could be allowed with reduced requirements
for examination.
  (2) The task force appointed under this section shall study:
  (a) The practices in other states that allow admission of
attorneys from other states with limited examination;
  (b) The admission requirements other than passage of an
examination that are imposed by states identified under paragraph
(a) of this subsection;
 
  (c) The extent to which Oregon admission standards are
consistent with the admission standards of the states allowing
reciprocal admission;
  (d) The need for character standards for attorneys practicing
in this state under a reciprocal admissions policy and the manner
in which those standards can be maintained; and
  (e) Disciplinary issues arising from reciprocal admission of
attorneys from other states.
  (3) The task force appointed under this section shall report to
the Seventy-second Legislative Assembly in the manner provided by
ORS 192.245. The report of the task force may include proposed
legislation for implementation of the recommendations of the task
force. + }
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