IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO RULES REGULATING THE FLORIDA BAR – RULE 20-6.1. (2026)

The Florida Bar filed a petition proposing amendments to Rule Regulating The Florida Bar 20-6.1 (Continuing Education; Generally).¹ Consistent with rule 1-12.1(g), the Bar published formal notice of its intent to file the proposed amendments on its website and in The Florida Bar News. The notice directed interested parties to file comments directly with the Court. No comments were received. Having considered the proposal, we adopt the amendments to rule 20-6.1 as proposed.

Specifically, we amend rule 20-6.1 to create a new subdivision (a) (Lecture Credit) to allow Florida Registered Paralegals to receive lecture credit for approved seminars for up to 3 credit hours for each 50 minutes of lecture at basic seminars or up to 5 credit hours for each 50 minutes of lecture time at intermediate seminars.

We also adopt a new subdivision (b) (Extensions) that allows the Executive Director or Board of Governors to permit extensions of the time for completion for continuing education requirements in certain circumstances.

Last, we add language to clarify that “[i]f a Florida Registered Paralegal completes more than 30 credit hours during any reporting cycle, the excess credits cannot be carried over to the next reporting cycle.”

Accordingly, the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar are amended as set forth in the appendix to this opinion. New language is indicated by underscoring; deletions are indicated by struck-through type. The amendments become effective December 21, 2026, at 12:01 a.m.

It is so ordered.

Chapter 20 should be removed from the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar. Paralegals, by definition, are not lawyers—so are not admitted to practice law. That means they are beyond this court's regulatory authority. See Art. V, § 15, Fla. Const. (“The supreme court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to regulate the admission of persons to the practice of law and the discipline of persons admitted.” (emphasis supplied)); see also Fla. Bar v. Hidalgo, 435 So. 3d 627, 628 (Fla. 2026) (Tanenbaum, J., dissenting) (challenging this court's authority to regulate non-lawyers at all). The bar, an administrative arm of this court charged with implementing the just-highlighted text, should remain focused on accomplishing its core mission. At the same time, it should avoid developing and running a money-raising operation beyond that mission, which is what the Florida Registered Paralegal Program appears to be.

APPENDIX

FOOTNOTES

1.   We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 15, Fla. Const.; see also R. Regulating Fla. Bar 1-12.1.

PER CURIAM.

COURIEL, C.J., and LABARGA, MUÑIZ, GROSSHANS, FRANCIS, and BARRIOS, JJ., concur. TANENBAUM, J., dissents with an opinion.