Last week, the Kansas Supreme Court adopted a new rule that will allow military spouses practice law in Kansas even if they have not passed the state's bar exam. The rule is aimed at alleviating the hardship of some military families stationed in Kansas who are unable to earn a living due to restrictions of the bar exam.

As Stars and Stripes reports, Rule 712A will allow lawyers temporarily stationed in Kansas with bar associations in other states to practice law. The decision to adopt the rule was first proposed by Kansas Board of Law Examiners. "It was not an easy thing to say, ‘Yes that makes sense,’ because we want to be fair to our Kansas lawyers who did have to take the bar exam and pass it," said Chief Justice Lawton Nuss.

Kansas is the nineteenth state to pass a rule addressing this particular issue and according to Kansas Office of Judicial Administration, 13 other states are looking at similar remedies. "We looked at how other states were handling this and looked at other rules, and tried to then develop a rule that brought together what we saw as good parts of all of them," said Justice Marla Luckert.

RULE 712A REQUIREMENTS

In order to ensure capable counsel for Kansas citizens, there are requirements for military spouses to practice in Kansas under Rule 712A. For instance, before practicing, a military spouse's standing and test scores with another state's bar association will be reviewed and a character and background check will be conducted.

Additionally, these military spouses will have to practice law alongside a Kansas attorney. While this will no doubt assist the spouses in becoming acquainted with Kansas law, it will also ensure that clients are not left without counsel if the spouse suddenly must move due to their husband or wife's military deployment.

If you are a military servicemember facing a criminal allegation or an adverse administrative action, we invite you to call our firm today. Joseph L. Jordan, Attorney at Law is a U.S. Army Veteran who now travels the world to protect the rights, interests, and reputations of accused members of our armed services.

Want to learn what our firm can do for you during this difficult time? Contact us today to request a free case evaluation.