Judicial Units, Boards, and Commissions

Larry S. Gibson, Reporter
Julia M. Freit, Assistant Reporter

District Court Building
P. 0. Box 1911
Annapolis 21404 Telephone: 269-2492

The Standing Committee on Rules of Practice
and Procedure, usually called the Rules Commit-
tee, was originally appointed by an order of the
Court of Appeals in 1946 to succeed an ad hoc
Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure
appointed by the Court in 1940. Its membership
consists of "lawyers, judges, and other persons
competent in judicial practice, procedure or ad-
ministration." The Rules Committee meets regu-
larly to recommend changes in or additions to
the rules of the Court of Appeals governing the
practice and procedure of law and judicial admin-
istration (Code Courts Article, sec. 13-301).

STATE BOARD OF LAW EXAMINERS

Chairperson: Charles H. Dorsey, Jr., 1983

John F. Mudd, 1982; William H. Price II, 1984;
M. Natalie McSherry, 1985; Robert H.
Reinhart, 1985; William F. Abell, Jr., 1986;
David C. Daneker, 1986.

John E. Boerner, Secretary to the Board
Joanne G. Dowgwillo, Clerk to the Board

Annapolis 21404 Telephone: 269-2140

Originally in Maryland the various courts were
authorized to examine persons seeking to be ad-
mitted to the practice of law. The examinations of
attorneys remained as a function of the courts un-
til 1898, when the State Board of Law Examiners
was created (Chapter 139, Laws of 1898). The
Board is presently composed of seven lawyers
appointed by the Court of Appeals.

The Board and its administrative staff adminis-
ter bar examinations twice annually during the
last weeks of February and July. Each is a two-
day examination of not more than twelve hours'
nor less than nine hours' writing time.

Commencing with the summer 1972 examina-
tion, pursuant to rules adopted by the Court of
Appeals, the Board adopted, and has used as part
of the overall examination, the Multistate Bar Ex-
amination. This is the nationally recognized law
examination consisting of multiple-choice type
questions and answers, prepared and graded un-
der the direction of the National Conference of
Bar Examiners. The MBE test now occupies the
second day of the examination. The first day is
devoted to the traditional essay examination, pre-

Judiciary/435

pared and graded by the Board.

The MBE test has been adopted and is now used
in forty-eight jurisdictions. It is a six-hour test cov-
ering six subjects: contracts, criminal law, evi-
dence, real property, torts, and constitutional law.

Pursuant to the Rules Governing Admission to
the Bar, the subjects covered by the Board's essay
examination shall be within, but need not include,
all of the following subject areas: agency, busi-
ness associations, commercial transactions, consti-
tutional law, contracts, criminal law and proce-
dure, evidence, Maryland civil procedure,
property, and torts. Single questions may encom-
pass more than one subject area and subjects are
not specifically labeled on the examination paper.

In addition to administering two regular bar
examinations per year, the Board also processes
applications for adminission filed under Rule 14,
which governs out-of-State attorney applicants
who must take and pass an attorney examination.
That examination is an essay type test limited in
scope and subject matter to the rules in Mary-
land that govern practice and procedure in civil
and criminal cases and also the Code of Profes-
sional Responsibility. The test is of three hours'
duration and is administered on the first day of
the regularly scheduled bar examination.

By Order of the Court of Appeals, dated Janu-
ary 22, 1982, the requirement that all applicants
to practice law in Maryland be domiciliaries of
the State by the time of their admission to the
bar was abolished (Code 1957, 1976 Replacement
Volume, Art. 10, secs. 2-8).

JUDICIAL NOMINATING
COMMISSIONS

APPELLATE JUDICIAL NOMINATING
COMMISSION

Chairperson: James J. Cromwell

First Appellate Circuit: T. Hughlett Henry, Jr.;
Dorothy Startt

Second Appellate Circuit: E. Scott Moore; Harry
Ratrie

Third Appellate Circuit: Gloria Cole; Vincent L.
Gingerich

Fourth Appellate Circuit: A. Lee Haislip, Jr.;
John M. Sine

Fifth Appellate Circuit: James B. Dudley; George
W. Settle

Sixth Appellate Circuit: Flossie M. Dedmond;
Robert J. Thieblot