IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO RULES REGULATING THE FLORIDA BAR - CHAPTER 22 (2025)

Proceeding under Rule 1-12.1(f) of the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar, the Attorney General of Florida has petitioned the Court to adopt a proposed new chapter 22 of those rules. The proposed rule would permit certain state government lawyers to be certified as members of The Florida Bar for a period of up to three years, without taking the Florida bar examination and applying for admission to The Florida Bar. Having considered the petition, the comments filed, and the response to the comments, the Court declines to adopt the proposed new chapter. The Court believes that the limited certification program currently outlined in rule 11-1.9, which requires a certified government lawyer to have applied for admission to The Florida Bar and to take the next available bar examination, strikes the appropriate balance between accommodating the government's workforce needs and ensuring that those authorized to practice law in Florida possess the requisite knowledge of Florida law, technical skill, and moral character to do so.

MUÑIZ, C.J., and CANADY, LABARGA, COURIEL, GROSSHANS, FRANCIS, and SASSO, JJ., concur.