PRINTER'S NO. 1994
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
1318
Session of
2020
INTRODUCED BY FARNESE, TARTAGLIONE, PHILLIPS-HILL, MUTH AND
SCAVELLO, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020
AN ACT
Providing for admission to practice law in this Commonwealth for
certain law school graduates.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the COVID-19
Emergency Bar Admission Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"COVID-19." The coronavirus disease 2019, being an
infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2 that was first identified during December 2019 in
Wuhan, China.
"Proclamation of disaster emergency." The proclamation of
disaster emergency issued by the Governor on March 6, 2020,
published at 50 Pa.B. 1644 (March 21, 2020), and any renewal of
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the state of disaster emergency. The term includes any
proclamation of disaster emergency related to COVID-19.
Section 3. Waiver of bar exam.
Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule, or regulation to
the contrary, an individual shall be admitted to practice in all
the courts of record of the Commonwealth if the individual meets
all the following criteria:
(1) The individual has graduated or will graduate
from an American Bar Association accredited law school or
would otherwise be eligible to take the Pennsylvania Bar
Examination during the period of time encompassed by the
proclamation of disaster emergency.
(2) The individual has demonstrated compliance with all
other provisions of Rule 203 of the Pennsylvania Board of Law
Examiners and has satisfied the requirements for good moral
character and general fitness requisite for an attorney-at-
law and counselor-at-law as required by the Supreme Court of
Pennsylvania.
(3) The individual intends to primarily practice law in
this Commonwealth.
Section 4. Limitations.
Nothing contained in this act shall be construed as
rescinding any rules promulgated or waivers thereof by the court
of appeals pertaining to admission to practice as an attorney-
at-law and counselor-at-law that are inconsistent with this act.
Section 5. Applicability.
This act shall apply to an individual who had an application
for admission to the Pennsylvania Bar Examination pending on the
date the proclamation of disaster emergency ends.
Section 6. Effective date.
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This act shall take effect immediately.
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