Posted: October 25, 2024
Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Comment Period Closed December 9, 2024
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. Feedback from those with experience using this rule, and multijurisdictional practice is highly encouraged.
This entry was posted in -Rules Governing the State Bar, USB14-0806.
I think expansion of the pro had vice rule, from the current Utah based residency and practice requirements to a more expansive offering allows greater flexibility for both practitioners, as well as providing a greater pool of attorneys to clients. It may be argued that this expansion may bridge the gap in attorney deserts and also provide more opportunities for representation for indigent and under represented persons.
I love how the Utah bar is first in the nation to try new ideas to provide greater access to representations for the public. With greater specialization of areas of practice, this proposed rule offers a common sense solution for much needed representation in highly specialized practice areas ,as well as other practice areas for underserved communities.
I love the level of civility and professionalism shown between lawyers in this state. I am concerned that allowing non-resident attorneys to act as “local counsel” for an out of state lawyer to practice in Utah will lead to a disruption of civility between lawyers. Most of my experiences with pro hac lawyers from out of state have been negative and I worry that removing the local requirement will increase the number and likelihood of negative experiences with out of state counsel. Having a local attorney, who cares about their reputation in the community, provides a layer of responsibility that decreases the chances of uncivil practices between local attorneys with pro hac attorneys.