ABA Supports Looser State Bar Licensing Requirements for Lawyers Married to Servicemembers
By: Steve Grumm
Moving every 2-4 years can be bad enough. But it’s even more difficult on attorneys who move periodically with their military spouses. Imagine taking bar exam after bar exam so you can practice in the jurisdiction where your military spouse has been transferred. I wonder if BARBRI offers an equivalent to frequent-flyer miles.
Well, the ABA supports lessening the burdens on lawyer-spouses of servicemembers. Here’s an excerpt of a press release from the Military Spouse JD Network:
HISTORIC ABA VOTE TO REMOVE LICENSING BARRIERS FOR MILITARY SPOUSE ATTORNEYS
New Orleans, Louisiana — February 6, 2012 — The policy making body of the American Bar Association voted today to support changes in state licensing rules for military spouses with law degrees. With this vote, the ABA recognized the licensing barriers facing lawyers who move to a new jurisdiction with their military spouse, on average every two to three years. The approval of Resolution 108 puts the nation’s largest and most influential professional organization for lawyers squarely on the side of enhancing employment opportunities for military spouses.
“The ABA leadership understands how time consuming and expensive it is for military spouses to obtain a law license every time they move,” said Mary Reding, an Air National Guard spouse and co-founder of the Military Spouse JD Network. “The bar examination process often costs thousands of dollars and takes many months to complete. As a result, many military spouses find it impossible to obtain a license during the limited time they are stationed in a new jurisdiction.”
The ABA’s Resolution encourages state licensing agencies to allow lawyers who are licensed and in good standing in another jurisdiction to practice law while they are present in the state because of military orders.