This article originally appeared in The Bar Examiner print edition, Summer 2026 (Vol. 95, No. 2), p. 28.
News
Rule Changes
Alabama
On April 30, 2026, the Supreme Court of Alabama released an order amending Rule III and Rule IV of the Rules Governing Admission to the Alabama State Bar. The amendments limit the number of bar exam attempts to five and eliminate the ABA accreditation requirement for US law schools.
The order further states that “the computation of the number of times that an applicant has attempted the Alabama Bar examination will begin with any attempts in July 2026 or thereafter. This computation will be a lifetime, cumulative total. Any attempts before July 2026 will not be considered in this computation.”
These amendments are effective January 1, 2027. The full order is available at judicial.alabama.gov/docs/rules/OrderOnRulesIIIAndIV.pdf.
District of Columbia
On March 24, 2026, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals amended D.C. App. R. 46(b)(1)(B)(iv) and 46(e)(3)(A), Motion via 3-year Provision, eligibility to the “active practice of law as a member in good standing of a bar of a court of general jurisdiction in the United States for a period of at least 3 of the 5 years immediately preceding the application for admission.”
People
Alabama
David G. Hymer and Robert C. Lockwood resigned from the Alabama State Bar’s Board of Bar Examiners. Christopher L. Lockwood and R. Thomas Warburton are the newest members to join the board.
Arkansas
Robert M. Brech became the Executive Director of the Arkansas Supreme Court, Office of Professional Programs, on March 16, 2026.
Colorado
Jess D. Mekeel resigned from the Colorado Board of Law Examiners’ Law Committee on June 18, 2025, and Heather Kelly and Charles Norton completed their terms on December 31, 2025. Magistrate Daniel Delaney, Jacob R. Lofgren, and Matthew M. Wolf were appointed on January 1, 2026.
Michael Meeks was appointed to the Board of Law Examiners’ Character and Fitness Committee on January 1, 2026. Porya Mansorian completed his term on May 31, 2026, and the following members completed their terms on June 30, 2026: Dr. Robert L. Atwell, Tammy M. Eret, Hon. Terry Fox, Dr. Sandra M. Thebaud, and Gwyneth Whalen.
District of Columbia
Shela Shanks retired from her role as Director of the Office of the Committees on Admissions and Unauthorized Practice of Law on December 1, 2025. Natalie N. Sanders was named as the new Director on April 20, 2026. Sanders joins the Office most recently from the US Department of Justice, where she served as a Trial Attorney leading litigation and enforcement matters in the consumer protection space. Her broader experience includes regulatory practice at Latham & Watkins LLP, as well as earlier work in the education sector focused on admissions.
In spring 2026, Erica Deray, Clarence Powell, and James Connor completed their terms on the District of Columbia Committee on Admissions, and Carmela Edmunds, Jaclyn Bolden, and Lisa Walters joined the committee.
Mississippi
On May 6, 2026, the Mississippi Supreme Court appointed Matthew A. Baldridge as successor to the late Hon. Anthony R. Simon on the Board of Bar Admissions. Simon was first appointed to the board on November 2, 2011. An in memoriam piece for Simon can be found by clicking here.
New Mexico
Judge Henry A. Alaniz, chair of the New Mexico Board of Bar Examiners, received the 2026 Diane F. Bosse Award for Excellence and Service in Bar Admissions. Click here for the full award feature.
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