Links: Supreme Court of Wisconsin Order(PDF), Wisconsin State Bar News
Excerpt:
Last week, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered an amendment to Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 40.05, allowing legal services (or service as a judge) for federally recognized Indian tribes to count for purposes of admission by proof of practice.
Previously, the rule said lawyers could obtain reciprocity admission to practice law in Wisconsin if they substantially engaged in the practice of law “in a state or territory, the federal government, or the District of Columbia” for at least three of the five years prior to admission, provided the lawyer met other requirements.
The rule did not include work for a “federally recognized Indian tribe.” Thus, the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) could and did deny reciprocity credit for lawyers who worked at least three years for a federally recognized Indian tribe, in Wisconsin or elsewhere.
Turtle Talk 