-Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Utah Court Rules

Posted: April 11, 2024

Rules Governing the Utah State Bar and Rules of Professional Practice – Effective May 1, 2024

Move the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Rules from Chapter 14, Article 4 to Chapter 11 in a new Article 6; to repeal Chapter 14, Article 4; to then renumber rules referenced in the new Article 6; Moving the article from the chapter entitled “Rules Governing the Utah State Bar, to the chapter entitled “General Provisions will help to distinguish the responsibility of the Court from the activities of the Bar.

Article 6; Clarify Board governance and make duties more transparent; The new rule includes “the Director” in the definitions, with a description that will help to clarify that the Director is appointed by the Court and supervised by the Board.

Expanding the definition of accredited “Professionalism and Civility CLE” to include instruction on Well-being and law practice management; incorporating the term “substance use disorder” and “instruction on equal access to justice, fairness, and respect for others.”

Increasing the time from six months to twelve months that lawyers and paralegal practitioners may remain on inactive status before changing to active status without complying with the annual CLE requirements.

Technical amendments clarifying that the total number of Board members is ten, excluding any additional emeritus members; and formalizing that a quorum for taking action is six.

Chapter 14 Article 4

USB14-0401. Purpose. Amend.

USB14-0402. Definitions. Amend

USB14-0403. Establishment and membership of Board. Amend

USB14-0404. Active status lawyers MCLE, NLTP, admission on motion, multi-state compliance reciprocity, house counsel and UBE requirements; MCLE requirements for Paralegal Practitioners. Amend.

USB14-0405. MCL requirements for lawyers and paralegal practitioners on inactive status. Amend.

USB14-0406. MCL requirements for lawyers on active military duty and lawyers who are spouses of active military members stationed in Utah. Amend.

USB14-0407. MCL requirements for lawyers on active emeritus status. Amend.

USB14-0408. Credit hour defined; application for approval. Amend.

USB14-0409. Categories of Elective CLE defined. Amend.

USB14-0410. Accreditation of MCLE; undue hardship and special Accreditation. Amend.

USB14-0411. Board Accreditation of CLE. Amend.

USB14-0412. Presumptively approved CLE providers; presumptive CLE Accreditation. Amend.

USB14-0413. CEL Accreditation for qualified audio and video presentations, webcasts, computer interactive programs, writing, lecturing, teaching, public service, and verified attendance. Amend.

USB14-0414. Certificate of compliance; filing, late, and reinstatement fees; suspension; retirement. Amend.

USB14-0415. Failure to satisfy MCLE requirements; notice; appeal procedures; reinstatement; waivers and extensions; deferrals. Amend.

USB14-0416. Lawyers on active status not practicing law in Utah; Paralegal Practitioners on active status outside of Utah; Lawyers or paralegal practitioners on active status engaged in full-time volunteer work in remote locations. Amend.

USB14-0417. Miscellaneous fees and expenses. Amend.

USB14-0418. Remote group CLE. Amend.

USB14-0419. CLE credit for Pro Bono Legal Services. Amend.

Supreme Court Order

Posted: November 16, 2023

Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Effective November 15, 2023

USB14-0104. Admission to practice law; qualifications, enrollment, oath, and fees. AMEND. This rule amendment clarifies that the Supreme Court may set the fee for a Certificate of Good Standing. This rule amendment also provides revisions necessary to comply with the Supreme Court’s Style Guide.

Supreme Court Order

Posted: October 30, 2023

Rules Governing the Utah State Bar and Rules of Professional Practice – Effective November 1, 2023

USB14-0207. Finances. Approved. This rule amendment requires the Utah State Bar to annually submit to the Supreme Court recommendations on increasing, decreasing, or maintaining current licensing fees.

Supreme Court Order for USB 14-207

RPP11-0107. Open and Public Meetings. Approved. This rule amendment adds the newly established Advisory Committee on the Rule of Business and Chancery Procedure to this rule as a committee that must only hold open meetings.

Supreme Court Order for RPP 11-107

Posted: June 29, 2023

Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Effective June 28, 2023

USB14-0403. Establishment and membership of Board. (AMENDED). This amendment reduces the size of the MCLE Board from 15 to 10 voting members. This amendment also adjusts the term lengths of new appointments to the Board.

Supreme Court Order

Posted: June 28, 2023

Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Effective June 28, 2023

USB14-0711. Grading and passing the Bar Examination. (AMENDED). This rule amendment lowers the passing Bar Examination cut score from 270 to 260.

USB14-0712. Qualifications for admission based on UBE. (AMENDED). This rule amendment brings this rule in alignment with the new passing Bar Examination cut score.

Supreme Court Order

Posted: April 18, 2023

Rules of Professional Conduct and Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Effective May 1, 2023

RPC08.03. Reporting Professional Misconduct. Amend. Clarifies that a lawyer or judge participating in a Utah State Bar-sponsored fee dispute resolution program is not required to disclose information gained in that program to the Office of Professional Conduct.

Supreme Court Order for RPC 8.3

USB14-01111. Exemption from future testimony and confidentiality of records and information. Amend. Clarifies when the Bar may disclose confidential information and what information it may disclose in the context of its fee dispute resolution program. A post-comment period amendment further clarifies that disclosure to law enforcement is permitted to the extent disclosure is necessary to prevent reasonably certain death or substantial bodily harm. Also clarifies that a Fee Dispute Resolution Committee member who participates in a fee dispute arbitration may not be called as a witness in any subsequent legal proceeding related to the fee dispute.

USB14-01116. Conduct of the mediation. Amend. Permits the fee dispute mediator to serve notice of the mediation by email on the mediating parties.

Supreme Court Order for USB 14-1111 and 14-1116

Posted: April 18, 2023

Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Effective May 1, 2023

USB14-0402. Definitions. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0404. Active status lawyers MCLE, NLTP, admission on motion, multi-state compliance reciprocity, house counsel and UBE requirements; MCLE requirements for Paralegal Practitioners. AMEND. Terminology amendments; clarifications around the New Lawyer Training Program.

USB14-0408. Credit hour defined; application for approval. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0409. Categories of Elective CLE defined. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0410. Accreditation of CLE; undue hardship and special Accreditation. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0411. Board Accreditation of CLE. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0412. Presumptively approved CLE providers; presumptive CLE Accreditation. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0413. CLE Accreditation for qualified audio and video presentations, webcasts, computer interactive telephonic programs, writing, lecturing, teaching, public service, and live attendance. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0414. Certificate of compliance; filing, late, and reinstatement fees; suspension; reinstatement. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0418. Remote group CLE. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0419. CLE Credit for Pro Bono Legal Services. NEW. Proposes a two-year pilot project that will provide CLE credit for pro bono services performed under the auspices of a Utah court, the Utah State Bar, or a sponsoring entity.

Supreme Court Order

Posted: January 23, 2023

Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Effective January 5, 2023

USB14-0802. Authorization to practice law. Amend.

The amendments to Rule 14-802(c)(1)(C) and (c)(1)(F) give Licensed Paralegal Practitioners (LPPs) the ability to modify the court forms that are relevant to their areas of practice. These amendments will give LPPs much needed flexibility to complete services for their clients while still working within the scopes of practice established by the Supreme Court.

Rule 14-802 was initially drafted with the intention of both defining the scope of practice for LPPs and ensuring the availability, accuracy, and effect of that scope of practice through forms that have been vetted and approved by the Judicial Council’s Standing Committee on Court Forms.

While the intent of this rule was to guide LPPs, attorneys, and the public through a new and uncharted program that authorized the limited practice of law by non-attorneys, it resulted in unanticipated results: LPPs’ effectiveness has been artificially limited, with negative results for their clients in the form of reduced cost savings and the inability to tailor pleadings to clients’ individual circumstances. The amendments to subparagraphs (c)(1)(C) and (c)(1)(F) seek to remedy that.

The amendments to Rule 14-802(c)(1)(H), meanwhile, establish that LPPs may negotiate on their client’s behalf for purposes of settlement. While these amendments are intended to be broadly applicable to all of the LPP practice areas, the immediate result is that LPPs will be able to serve unrepresented litigants on the courts’ pro se calendars. The subparagraph (c)(1)(H) amendments are expedited under UCJA Rule 11-105(5).

Supreme Court Order for (c)(1)(C) and (c)(1)(F)

Supreme Court Order for (c)(1)(H)

Posted: December 12, 2022

Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Effective December 9, 2022

USB14-0701. Definitions. Amended as of December 9, 2022, pursuant to UCJA Rule 11-105(5). The amendments add as a defined term “UBE Transfer Applicant.”

USB14-0809. Practice Pending Admission. Amended as of December 9, 2022, pursuant to UCJA Rule 11-105(5).The amendments add UBE Transfer Applicants to the list of applicants that may practice while their admissions application is pending.

Supreme Court Order

Posted: November 8, 2022

Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Effective November 7, 2022

USB14-0705.Admission by motion. Amended as of November 7, 2022, pursuant to UCJA Rule 11-105(5). The amendments restore reciprocity language to the rule.

Since the August 1, 2022 amendments, the Utah State Bar’s Office of Admissions has fielded several inquiries about whether an attorney who is primarily licensed and practicing in a non-reciprocal jurisdiction would now be eligible for admission by motion. These questions appear to arise from the deletion of a reciprocity provision in Rule 14-705. Removing reciprocity requirements was never the intention behind the August amendments. Rather, the intention was to simply recognize that the pandemic created opportunities for remote work. As such, these amendments clarify that a reciprocal admission applicant must have been engaged in the Full-time Practice of Law in the reciprocal jurisdiction, whether remotely or in-person, during the relevant time period.

Supreme Court Order