The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 4: Judiciary

Chapter 023: Attorneys

• § 901. Rules for admission of attorneys

  Justices of the Supreme Court shall make, adopt, and publish and may alter or amend rules regulating the admission of attorneys to the practice of law before the courts of this State.

• § 902. Board of Bar Examiners

  The Board of Bar Examiners shall consist of 11 voting members whose term of office shall be for four years and until a successor is appointed. Two members of the Board shall be laypersons not admitted to practice law in this or any other state. The Supreme Court shall annually appoint not more than four members of the Board on October 1. Vacancies on the Board may be filled by the Court. The Commissioner of Finance and Management shall issue his or her warrant for the expenses of each member of the Board when approved by the Court Administrator. (Amended 1959, No. 328 (Adj. Sess.), § 8(c); 1983, No. 81, § 5; 1983, No. 195 (Adj. Sess.), § 5(b); 2019, No. 13, § 1, eff. April 30, 2019.)

• §§ 903-905. Repealed. 1977, No. 235 (Adj. Sess.), § 10.

• § 906. Conflicting appointments; excuse from attending by Chief Superior Judge

  When an attorney is required to attend more than one trial, hearing, or other proceeding before a court or commission having judicial or quasi-judicial functions, or both, at times that conflict so that the attorney cannot reasonably attend each appointment, the attorney may request the Chief Superior Judge to designate which appointment the attorney shall attend. The Chief Superior Judge shall designate the appointment the attorney shall attend and shall notify the presiding magistrate of each court and commission of the Justice’s or judge’s decision. The attorney shall be excused from attending at that time any proceedings other than the one designated by the Chief Superior Judge, and the other proceedings shall be rescheduled. (1959, No. 169; amended 1979, No. 181 (Adj. Sess.), § 18; 2021, No. 147 (Adj. Sess.), § 19, eff. May 31, 2022.)

• § 907. Licensing and renewal fees

  The Supreme Court may by rule impose a fee on applicants for admission to the bar on motion and on applicants for admission to the bar by examination. The Court may also impose an annual fee on lawyers admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court as a condition of being licensed to practice law. (Added 1983, No. 81, § 1; amended 2011, No. 75 (Adj. Sess.), § 102, eff. March 7, 2012.)

• § 908. Attorneys’ Admission, Licensing, and Professional Responsibility Special Fund

  There is established the Attorneys’ Admission, Licensing, and Professional Responsibility Special Fund that shall be managed in accordance with 32 V.S.A. chapter 7, subchapter 5. Fees collected for licensing of attorneys, administration of the bar examination, admitting attorneys to practice in Vermont, and administration of mandatory continuing legal education shall be deposited and credited to this Fund. This Fund shall be available to the Judicial Branch to offset the cost of operating the Professional Responsibility Board, the Board of Bar Examiners, the Judicial Conduct Board, the Committee on Character and Fitness, the mandatory continuing legal education program for attorneys and, at the discretion of the Supreme Court, to make grants for access to justice programs or to the Vermont Bar Foundation to be used to support legal services for the disadvantaged. (Added 2005, No. 215 (Adj. Sess.), § 60; amended 2013, No. 67, § 10.)