R. Gov. Admi. Miss. Bar. 7
For purposes of admission under this Rule, practice for not less than five (5) years must consist of active practice of law, after admission to the bar of another jurisdiction, either as a partner or associate of a private or public law firm, as a legal officer of a corporation or other business organization, as a governmental employee whose duties are primarily providing legal advice or representation of the governmental agency in the courts, as a legal officer in the Armed Services, as a judge, magistrate, administrative judge or referee, or law clerk to a judge, or as a full time teacher in a law school approved by the Section on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar of the American Bar Association. Practice of law which qualifies for purposes of this Rule must have occurred within a state or states in which the applicant was then admitted to practice law and must have occurred while applicant was licensed by and in good standing with the court or other agency having authority over the practice of law in such jurisdiction.
R. Gov. Admi. Miss. Bar. 7
Comment
This amended rule does away with the requirement of a one (1) day attorney's examination on topics of Mississippi law for attorneys seeking to establish a practice in Mississippi and returns the rule to its pre-1979 format of allowing complete reciprocity with other states granting similar privileges to Mississippi lawyers. The amended rule requires that any lawyer from another state which requires Mississippi attorneys to be examined before admission must take the entire Mississippi Bar Examination.
It is not the intention of this rule to provide an alternative means of admission for temporary practice in Mississippi, which is governed by the pro hac vice admission rules of the Mississippi Rules of Appellate Procedure.
The five (5) year practice of law requirement contemplates that the work done by the applicant be of a general legal nature but not work that is very narrow in scope, is of a type which need not be performed by an attorney, or does not generally require the services of an attorney. An attorney's five (5) years of prior practice must have constituted a full-time or regular undertaking and not have been on only an occasional or haphazard basis.
For the purposes of this Rule, the active practice of law does not include work that, as undertaken, constituted the unauthorized practice of law in the jurisdiction in which it was performed or in the jurisdiction in which the clients receiving the unauthorized services were located.