Rule 1.3.3 - "Rhode Island Bridge the Gap" Requirement(a) The "Rhode Island Bridge the Gap" requirement is a mandatory one-day course, which shall be taken by each newly admitted attorney within ninety (90) days upon admission to the Rhode Island Bar (sworn in and issued a bar number). (1) This requirement applies to all newly admitted attorneys to Rhode Island, unless the newly admitted attorney: (i) Has been admitted in another jurisdiction for three (3) years or more; and(ii) Submits a certificate of good standing to the MCLE Commission via the MCLE Portal attesting to the fact that the attorney has been admitted in another jurisdiction for the prescribed period.(2) The effective date of this rule is January 1, 2025.(3) Date of attendance shall be filed with the MCLE Commission via the MCLE Portal.(b)Filing and Records. On or before June 30 of the MCLE Reporting Year, each attorney shall file the date of attendance with the MCLE Commission via the MCLE Portal documenting compliance with this requirement. The responsibility to ensure the accuracy and timely submission of the data rests solely with the reporting attorney. Each attorney shall maintain such records as may be required to substantiate the attorney's compliance for a period of three (3) years following the close of the MCLE Reporting Year.(c) The Rhode Island Bar Association or an educational institution approved by the Supreme Court shall sponsor the "Rhode Island Bridge the Gap" course. The course shall be offered as a Video Replay as well as In-person. The fees for the course, whether In-person or on Video Replay, shall be set by the Supreme Court as deemed necessary.(d) The MCLE Commission shall grant no exemptions or extensions unless exceptional circumstances apply. An Active Practitioner may file a waiver or makeup consideration with the MCLE Commission via the MCLE Portal fully explaining the exceptional circumstances that caused the need for a waiver or extension. The MCLE Commission shall review each request on an individual basis.(e) No MCLE credits are given for this course.(f)Failure to Comply. A newly admitted attorney who fails to comply with the requirements of Article IV, Rule 3.3 and this subsection within ninety (90) days of admission to the Rhode Island Bar shall be assessed a makeup filing fee and shall be removed from the Master Roll of Attorneys without further notice. An attorney whose name has been removed from the Master Roll of Attorneys and who practices law or holds out in any manner to the public or to another person as being competent, qualified, authorized, or entitled to practice law in this state is engaged in the unauthorized practice of law and may be subject to the disciplinary procedures of the Supreme Court. (1) An attorney whose name has been removed from the Master Roll for failure to comply with Article IV, Rule 3.3 and this subsection may be reinstated upon completing the "Rhode Island Bridge the Gap" course and payment of the makeup or late filing fee, plus reimbursement of the costs of collection, if any, within six (6) months of the initial filing deadline (June 30). (See Appendix C, Schedule of Fees.) Reinstatement after having been removed from the Master Roll for a period of six (6) months or less may be completed via the MCLE Portal.(2) An attorney whose name has been removed from the Master Roll for failure to comply with subsection (f)(1) for a period in excess of six (6) months shall file an application with the Supreme Court seeking reinstatement, in accordance with Article IV, Rule 1(e), and provide a copy to the Supreme Court's Disciplinary Counsel and the MCLE Commission. The applicant for reinstatement shall submit an affidavit with the application attesting that the applicant has not been disciplined in this or any other jurisdiction, that the applicant is not the subject of any pending disciplinary charges, and the applicant is not aware of any reason why the application should not be granted. Disciplinary Counsel shall provide the Supreme Court with a Report and Recommendation on the application within thirty (30) days after receiving the application.(3) An attorney in the practice of law in another jurisdiction who is removed from the Master Roll for failure to comply with Article IV, Rule 3.3 and MCLE Regulation § 1.3.3 shall, in addition to the prerequisites stated above, provide to the Supreme Court a certificate from the appropriate disciplinary tribunal of the jurisdiction in which the attorney has been practicing law that: (i) The attorney is a member in good standing of the bar in such jurisdiction; and(ii) That no disciplinary action is pending against the attorney in the other jurisdiction. Amended effective 7/1/2018; amended effective 7/1/2019; amended April 24, 2024, effective 4/24/2024.