Rule 703: Attorney Admissions Review Committee

(a)   Purpose. The Attorney Admissions Review Committee assists the Board of Law Examiners with character and fitness determinations.

(b)   Members. The Supreme Court will appoint three members to serve on the Review Committee. A Review Committee member must be a Kansas attorney registered as active under Rule 206 and cannot be a member of the Board of Law Examiners.

(c)   Chair. The Supreme Court will designate one member as Review Committee chair.

(d)   Term. The Supreme Court will appoint each Review Committee member for three years, unless the appointment is to complete an unexpired term. The Supreme Court will appoint a new member to fill a vacancy, and the new member will serve the unexpired term of the previous member. No member may serve more than three consecutive three-year terms, except a member initially appointed to serve an unexpired term may serve three more consecutive three-year terms.

(e)   Temporary Appointment. The Supreme Court may make a temporary appointment for either of the following purposes:

(1)   to review a particular application for admission to the Kansas bar when a Review Committee member has a conflict; or

(2)   to serve a designated period when a Review Committee member is unable to act.

(f)   Meetings. The Review Committee will meet when necessary and when the admissions attorney requests a meeting.

(g)   Procedures. The Review Committee has investigatory authority as provided in Rule 723. The Review Committee may find one of the following by a majority vote:

(1)   an applicant established by clear and convincing evidence the requisite character and fitness qualifications under Rule 712 and should be approved; or

(2)   an applicant failed to establish the requisite character and fitness qualifications and should be referred to the Board of Law Examiners for a hearing under Rule 723.

(h)   Recordkeeping. The Review Committee chair must maintain records of each Review Committee action and must distribute copies of the records to Review Committee members, the admissions attorney, and the Attorney Admissions office.

(i)   Third-Party Services. The Review Committee may employ or otherwise obtain the services of a third party to assist the Review Committee in carrying out its duties.

(j)   Reimbursement for Expenses; Payment. A Review Committee member is entitled to reimbursement for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of services. Expenses are paid from the bar admission fee fund under Rule 707.

[History: New rule adopted effective July 1, 2022.]