This article originally appeared in The Bar Examiner print edition, Fall 2025 (Vol. 94, No. 3), pp. 28–33.
News
Rule Changes
New Mexico
The New Mexico Supreme Court adopted Rule 15-310 NMRA on May 20, 2025, regarding a new method of admission for federal employees or those who have recently lost employment with the federal government. The order is available at supremecourt.nmcourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/New-Rule-15-310-NMRA.pdf.
Vermont
The Vermont Rules of Admission to the Bar of the Vermont Supreme Court will have several amendments effective January 1, 2026.
An amendment to Rule 2(a)(8) removes the requirement in the catch-all provision that the legal work must be performed in a jurisdiction in which the applicant is admitted. An amendment to Rule 9(b)(1) removes the requirement that the UBE must be taken no later than five years after an applicant completes the necessary educational requirements. An amendment to Rule 9(c)(7)(D) allows an applicant who is denied admission after achieving a passing score to use that score to satisfy the exam requirement for admission for up to five years. An amendment to Rule 11 removes the good-cause extension for achieving a passing score on the MPRE within three years of passing the UBE.
Several amendments to Rule 12 concern CLEs and the mentorship requirement. Applicants may commence their mentorship up to one year prior to admission to the bar and may count CLEs toward their mentorship hours. The amended Rule 12(b) changes the result of a failure to complete the first-year requirements from suspension to placement on inactive status.
Rule 13 is amended in (b)(2) to extend the age of a qualifying transferred UBE score to five years. To conform to the Rule 9 changes above, Rule 13(d) has been deleted. In conjunction with the amendment to Rule 11, former Rule 13(e) pertaining to the MPRE removes the good-cause extension. Also, the age of a usable MPRE score is extended to five years, to match the age of a usable UBE score.
An amendment to Rule 15(c) simplifies language and requires that an attorney admitted without examination is subject to the post-admission CLE requirement detailed in Rule 12(a)(1). An amendment to Rule 20(c) allows the board to extend for good cause the 90-day time limit on completing an oath of admission, signing the licensing statement, and paying the licensing fee.
Washington
Effective September 1, 2025, applicants are eligible to apply under admission by motion if they present satisfactory proof of active legal experience for at least one of the three years immediately preceding the filing of the application.
People
California
Laura Enderton-Speed will be the next Executive Director of the State Bar of California. Her anticipated start date is November 3, 2025.
Audrey Ching left her role as Director of Admissions for the state bar on September 26, 2025.
The Supreme Court of California made several appointments to the Committee of Bar Examiners. All are effective September 19, 2025. Alan Yochelson, the committee’s current vice chair, has been appointed chair for a one-year term. Ashley Silva-Guzman will replace him as vice chair for the same term.
Bethany Peak was reappointed for a four-year term. Christopher Reed and Michael Lee to fill two vacancies for the same term due to departures from the board.
Idaho
Abby Kostecka‘s last day as Admissions and MCLE Director with the Idaho State Bar was October 15, 2025.
Louisiana
Brett Emmanuel joined the Louisiana Supreme Court Committee on Bar Admissions as Assistant Testing Director as of August 29, 2025. Tatiana Mouton, who previously held the position, left in April.
Nebraska
Stephanie Ferris is now Deputy Administrator of Attorney Services and Deputy Director of Admissions for the Nebraska Supreme Court Attorney Services Division. She was previously Deputy Clerk.
New Hampshire
Sherry M. Hieber‘s last day as General Counsel for the New Hampshire Office of Bar Admissions was September 4, 2025. Dianne Martin has taken over the role.
New Mexico
Christine Long was appointed on June 4, 2025, to the New Mexico Board of Bar Examiners. Long recently retired after serving thirty-two years as Deputy Disciplinary Counsel for the New Mexico Disciplinary Board, where she was responsible for investigating and prosecuting allegations related to attorney misconduct and the unauthorized practice of law. Additionally, Long previously acted as special counsel to the New Mexico Board of Bar Examiners in character and fitness proceedings. Long fills the vacancy left by Olga Serafimova, who resigned in January after her retirement.
Texas
On June 13, 2025, the Texas Board of Law Examiners welcomed two new board members after appointment by the Supreme Court of Texas:
Alexis Howard Lewis recently served as Chief Legal Officer for a financial institution, leading its Shared Risk Services department, including Legal, Enterprise Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, and Fraud/BSA. Prior to that, she built a strong foundation in legal practice and corporate governance in big law. A Colorado native, Howard Lewis earned her law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. She serves on several boards, including WE WILL, the Thurgood Marshall School of Law Alumni Association, and the Greater Houston Partnership’s Executive Women’s Partnership.
W. Stephen Benesh is the 2024–25 President of the State Bar of Texas. His prior positions of service to the legal profession include chair of the Texas Bar Foundation, chair of the State Bar Annual Meeting, president of the Austin Bar Association, and president of the Robert W. Calvert American Inn of Court. Steve has spent his entire legal career with Bracewell LLP, where he practices commercial litigation in the firm’s Austin office. He obtained his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.
Virginia
On August 26, 2025, her colleagues on the Supreme Court of Virginia unanimously elected Justice Cleo E. Powell as Chief Justice. She will be the first African American woman to serve in the role. Justice Powell will succeed Chief Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn upon his retirement on January 1, 2026, after four years in the role. Justice Powell was first elected to the Supreme Court in 2011 and was reelected in 2023.
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