NC Bar Changes Rules on License Reinstatements
The NC State Bar has amended the rules for attorneys applying for reinstatement from inactive or suspended status.
The amendments to the bar’s Rules for the Administrative Committee were approved by the NC Supreme Court in December 2021 and published on the State Bar website in 2022.
The amendments also removed the “grandfather clause” that excluded members who obtained inactive or suspended status prior to March 10, 2011, from having to retake the bar exam.
A key date for attorneys who were previously covered by the grandfather clause is October 14, 2022, which is their deadline for filing their Petition for Reinstatement under the old rules.
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NC State Bar Notice of Rules Change
On December 14, 2021, the NC Supreme Court approved amendments to the Rules for the Administrative Committee, namely 27 NCAC 1D, .0902 and .0904, reinstatement rules. The amendments added the requirement that, unless an exception applies, members seeking reinstatement from inactive and suspended status after more than seven years must not only successfully complete the bar examination, but also must successfully complete the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) and the state-specific component of the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE).
The amendments also removed the “grandfather clause” that excluded members who obtained inactive or suspended status prior to March 10, 2011, from the bar exam requirements.
Members who were previously covered by the “grandfather clause” have until October 14, 2022, to petition for reinstatement in order to then complete 84 CLE hours in lieu of the bar examination requirements. Petitions filed after the October 14, 2022, deadline are subject to the amended rules requiring passage of the bar exam to seek reinstatement, unless you qualify for an exemption, as noted in the rules.
You can find the reinstatement petition here.
Source: Important Notice Regarding Reinstatement Requirements | North Carolina State Bar (ncbar.gov)
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