Rule 3.3 - "Rhode Island Bridge the Gap" requirement(a)Requirement - All newly admitted attorneys shall be required to take the one-day, mandatory "Rhode Island Bridge the Gap" course within ninety (90) days upon admission to the Rhode Island Bar (sworn in and issued a bar number) unless at the time of admission the attorney has been admitted in another jurisdiction for a period of at least three (3) years. The attorney shall submit 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. No course substitution from other jurisdictions will be accepted for this requirement.(b)Filing and Records - Each attorney shall file the date of attendance with the MCLE Commission via the MCLE Portal in such form as the Commission shall prescribe, 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 each MCLE reporting year.(c)Course Offering - The "Rhode Island Bridge the Gap" course shall be sponsored by the Rhode Island Bar Association or an educational institution approved by the Supreme Court. The course curriculum shall be approved by the MCLE Commission. 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 appropriate.(d)No Exemptions or Extensions - Because the course will be offered as a video replay, there will be no exemptions or extensions granted by the MCLE Commission except in exceptional circumstances. An attorney may file a request for waiver or makeup consideration to the MCLE Commission with a full explanation of the extraordinary circumstances supporting the request. The MCLE Commission shall review and approve or disapprove each request on an individual basis.(e)No MCLE Credit - As this course contains mandatory content, the course shall not be applied toward any MCLE requirements.(f)Failure to Comply - A newly admitted attorney who fails to fulfill the requirement under this section 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 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 this rule 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. 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 this rule for a period in excess of six (6) months shall file an application with the Supreme Court seeking reinstatement, in accordance with Rule 1(c), 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 that 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.(3) An attorney in the practice of law in another jurisdiction who is removed from the Master Roll for failure to comply with this rule shall, in addition to any other prerequisite contained in these rules before being returned to the Master Roll, 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.(g)Effective Date - This section will take effect on July 1, 2025.Amended May 31, 2018, effective 7/1/2018; amended January 8, 2019, effective 7/1/2019; amended April 24, 2024, effective 4/24/2024.