Rule 15 - Requirements for Attorney-applicantsAn Attorney-Applicant must meet all the following requirements.
(a)Practice of Law. The Attorney-Applicant must have been Actively Engaged in the Practice of Law for 5 of the preceding 10 years in one or more U.S. jurisdictions. (1)Waiver. Part of the 5-year requirement may be waived if: (A) any jurisdiction in which the Attorney-Applicant is currently licensed and in which he or she has been Actively Engaged in the Practice of Law for not less than six months requires fewer than 5 years' admission as a condition of admission on motion and without examination for attorneys licensed in that jurisdiction; and(B) the Attorney-Applicant has been Actively Engaged in the Practice of Law for not less than 3 of the preceding 10 years.(2)Waiver for Maine and New Hampshire. The 5-year requirement may be waived if the Attorney-Applicant is currently licensed to practice law in Maine or New Hampshire and has been Actively Engaged in the Practice of Law in Maine or New Hampshire for not less than 3 years immediately preceding filing an Application for admission under this rule. This provision of the rule shall remain in effect only so long as the equivalent Maine or New Hampshire rule remains effective.(b)Current Licensing and Status. The Attorney-Applicant must be currently licensed to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction; not under suspension or revocation in any jurisdiction for disciplinary reasons; and be a member in good standing in all jurisdictions in which the Attorney-Applicant practices law.(c)Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Requirement. An Attorney-Applicant must attend at least 15 hours of CLE on Vermont practice and procedure in courses approved by the Board of Continuing Legal Education and certified by the Board of Bar Examiners as satisfying the requirements of this rule. A minimum of 9 of the 15 CLE hours must be earned by attendance at programs delivered either as Moderated Programming or Non-Moderated Programming with Interactivity as a Key Component, as those terms are defined in the Vermont Rules for Mandatory Continuing Legal Education. The Attorney-Applicant must satisfy this requirement within one year before or one year after admission to the Vermont Bar. The Applicant must timely certify satisfaction of this requirement or the Applicant's license will be suspended. For good cause, the Board may extend the time necessary to satisfy this CLE requirement.Effective 4/18/2016; amended January 1, 2021, eff. 3/8/2021.Board's Notes-2021 Amendment
Rules 12(a)(1) and 15(c) are amended to make the first-year CLE requirement consistent with recent changes to the Rules for Mandatory Continuing Legal Education. Specifically, the prior distinction between live and self-study is replaced with the distinction between Moderated Programming, Non-Moderated Programming with Interactivity as a Key Component, and other. Further, the minimum number of hours of programming that is Moderated or Non-Moderated with Interactivity as a Key Component is increased from 6 to 9.
Board's Notes
Rule 15 is derived from the prior rules § 7.
The requirements for Attorney-Applicants are substantively unchanged. The new rule extends the time period during which an Attorney-Applicant must complete the required CLE. The new rule for Attorney-Applicants, consistent with the new CLE requirement for newly licensed lawyers under Rule 12, allows for the required CLE to be completed up to one year after admission to the bar. The approved live courses are offered at limited times. The new rule allows additional flexibility while ensuring that the CLE program is timely completed.