Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Admissions -Effective May 1, 2025

USB 14-701 Definitions. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency
• Adds that pro bono work under 14-803 is “Active Practice”
• Updates language referring to delicensed attorneys
• Modifies definition for Formerly-Admitted Applicant
• Changes definition of an “Unapproved Law School”

USB 14-702. Board – general powers. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency

USB 14-703. Qualifications for admission of Student Applicants. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency

USB 14-704. Qualifications for admission of Attorney Applicants. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency
• Changes active practice of law requirement for applicants from Unapproved law schools
• Changes the active practice of law requirement for applicants from foreign law schools

USB 14-705. Admission by motion. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency

USB 14-706. Test accommodations. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency

USB 14-707. Application; deadlines; withdrawals; postponements and fees. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency
• Modifies the background investigation requirements to allow Admissions Committee to prescribe method of investigations
• Removes late filing deadlines for examinees
• Gives Deputy General Counsel or the Character and Fitness Committee authority to keep an application open for more than one year

USB 14-708. Character and fitness. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency
• Adds language to reflect the position of financial obligations in the review of an applicant’s character and fitness

USB 14-709. Application denial. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency

USB 14-711. Grading and passing the Bar Examination. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency
• Adds language about appeal process specifically for paragraph (f)

USB 14-712. Qualifications for admission based on UBE. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency

USB 14-713.  MPRE. Amend. 

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency

USB 14-714. Unsuccessful Applicants disclosure and right of inspection. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency

USB 14-715. Requests for Review. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency

USB 14-716. License fees; enrollment fees; oath and admission. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency
• Updates information to match the current relationship of admissions to the Utah Supreme Court and the District Court for the District of Utah

USB 14-717. Readmission of Utah attorneys after resignation with discipline, administrative suspension for three or more years, resignation with discipline, or delicensure. Amend.

• Updated title of rule for consistency
• General cleanup for clarity and consistency
• Changes requirement that a Formerly-Admitted Attorney applying under Rule 14-704 does not need to retake the bar examination but must complete the New Lawyer Training Program

USB 14-718. Licensing of Foreign Legal Consultants. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency

USB 14-719. Qualifications for admission of House Counsel Applicants. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency
• Adds language indicating that House Counsel can not use lack of notice from the Bar as a defense to continuing to practice as House Counsel after authorization has ceased based on a triggering event

USB 14-720. Confidentiality. Amend.

• Removes language allowing Bar to disclose names of Applicants
• General cleanup for clarity and consistency

USB 14-721. Admission of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients. Amend.

• General cleanup for clarity and consistency

Supreme Court Order

Continue Reading
Continue Reading
Continue Reading
Continue Reading
Continue Reading

Rules Governing the Utah State Bar and Rules of Professional Practice – Effective May 1, 2025

Rule 3.3. Candor toward the tribunal. AMEND. The amendments align the rule and intent with the model rule as was originally done.  Utah restructured this rule by renumbering paragraphs from the model rule.  In doing so, the model language (now in subsection (d)) included that “the duties stated in paragraphs (a) and (b)” required disclosure but omitted the new paragraph (c).  The language of Utah paragraph (c) is found in model rule paragraph (b).  The comments were also amended to reflect correct citations.  The Court has also removed the language “or is reckless with respect to its truth” from Comment 1.  The Court approves this rule as final with an effective date of May 1, 2025, while simultaneously publishing it for public comment pursuant to CJA Rule 11-105.

USB14-806. Admission pro hac vice. AMEND. The proposed amendment for pro hac vice admission would remove the requirement that a Utah Bar member be a Utah resident and have a law office in Utah.

Supreme Court Order

Supreme Court Order

 

Continue Reading
Continue Reading

Approved Amendments to Utah Rules of Appellate Procedure – Effective May 1, 2025

URAP008. Stay or injunction pending appeal. The amendments to Rule 8 include: 1) removing paragraph (a)(1)(B) as this relief is already covered by paragraph (a)(1)(A); 2) updating the injunction standard to match the standard in Rule 65A of the Rules of Civil Procedure; and 3) cleaning up language and format for clarity and consistency.

URAP010. Procedures for summary disposition or simplified appeal process. The amendment to Rule 10 is to remove paragraph (c) and allow Rule 22 to govern extensions.

Supreme Court Order

Continue Reading

Approved Amendments to Utah Code of Judicial Administration – Effective May 1, 2025

CJA 4-202.02. Records classification. (AMEND)
Upon request, the contact and identifying information of a participant in the Safe at Home Program under Utah Code, title 77, chapter 38, part 6, will be classified as “safeguarded”records. All other amendments are non-substantive formatting changes.

CJA04-202.04. Request to access a record associated with a case; request to classify a record associated with a case. (AMEND)
The amendments allow court clerks to waive the “in writing” requirement for requests to access non-public court records, if the requester is authorized to access those records under Rule 4-202.03. All other amendments are non-substantive formatting changes.

Judicial Council Order

Continue Reading

Approved Amendments to Utah Rules of Evidence – Effective May 1, 2025

URE0106. Remainder of or Related Writings or Recorded Statements. Amend. The amendments track recent changes to Federal Rule of Evidence 106, omitting language indicating that the statements covered by the rule are only those in “writing or recorded,” and adding a sentence affirming, “The adverse party may do so over a hearsay objection.”

URE1102. Reliable Hearsay in Criminal Preliminary Examinations. Amend. The amendment adds a reference to the legislative joint resolution that amended this rule last year.

Supreme Court Order

Supreme Court Order

Continue Reading