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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a person's eligibility to take the state's bar |
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examination and to supreme court approval of law schools for the |
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purpose of establishing eligibility. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 82.024, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 82.024. LAW STUDY REQUIREMENTS; ELIGIBILITY FOR |
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EXAMINATION. (a) A person who has completed the prescribed study |
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in an approved law school has satisfied the law study requirements |
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for taking the examination for a license to practice law and is |
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eligible to take the bar examination. |
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(b) An approved law school is one that is approved by the |
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supreme court under Section 82.025 or other law for the [time] |
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period designated by the court as maintaining the additional |
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standards to retain approval. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 82, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 82.0242 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 82.0242. LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES; ELIGIBILITY FOR |
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EXAMINATION. (a) Notwithstanding Section 82.0241, a person who |
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graduates from a law school at an institution of higher education, |
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as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, is eligible to take |
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the state's bar examination regardless of whether the person has |
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completed law study in an approved law school as required by Section |
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82.024 if the person satisfies all other requirements to be |
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eligible to take the examination. |
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(b) The same procedures and deadlines apply to a person |
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eligible to take the state's bar examination under this section as |
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apply to a person who has completed the law study requirements in |
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Section 82.024. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 82, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 82.025 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 82.025. LAW SCHOOL APPROVAL. The supreme court shall |
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adopt rules and procedures for a law school to become an approved |
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law school for purposes of Section 82.024. Rules and procedures |
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adopted under this section must provide for the supreme court's |
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approval of a law school at an institution of higher education, as |
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defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, regardless of whether |
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the law school is approved by the American Bar Association. |
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SECTION 4. Not later than September 1, 2018, the Supreme |
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Court of Texas shall adopt rules and procedures necessary to |
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implement Section 82.025, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |