Rule VI
Declaration of Intention to Study Law; General
Provisions
(a) Every person who is beginning law study in an approved law school in
Texas for the first time (an entrant) and who intends to apply for admission to
the Bar of Texas shall, unless prohibited from filing by these Rules, file with
the Board a Declaration of Intention to Study Law, on a form promulgated by the
Board.
(1) The Declaration shall show:
(A) the
history, experience, and educational qualifications of the Declarant;
(B) the
approved law school in which the Declarant is or was enrolled;
(C) the
Declarant’s criminal history;
(D) the
Declarant’s history of mental illness;
(E) the
Declarant’s history with regard to charges of fraud in any legal proceeding;
(F) the
Declarant’s involvement in any civil litigation or bankruptcy proceedings;
(G) the
Declarant’s willingness to take the oath required of attorneys in Texas;
(H) the
Declarant’s history as to compliance with court orders regarding child support
and spousal support;
(I) the
Declarant’s history regarding re-payment of federally guaranteed student loans;
(J) the
Declarant’s history regarding the filing of required federal income tax returns
and the payment of federal income tax liability;
(K) the
Declarant’s history regarding payment to the IRS of payroll taxes (s)he
collected as an employer of others; and
(L) such
other information regarding the Declarant as the Board deems reasonably related
to its investigation of the Declarant’s moral character and fitness.
(2) The Board may require the
Declarant to provide, in addition, such supporting documents relating to the
Declarant as the Board deems reasonable.
(3) The Board may also require the
Declarant to execute a consent form supplied by the Board, authorizing all
persons, firms, officers, corporations, associations, organizations, and
institutions to furnish to the Board or any of its authorized representatives,
all relevant documents, records, or other information pertaining to the
Declarant.
(b) The timely filing deadline for such Declaration, for which
no late fees shall be charged, shall be as follows:
Fall entrants, October 1;
Regular spring entrants, May 1;
Spring entrants at quarter hour law schools, June 1;
Summer entrants, September 15.
(c) Declarations filed with the Board after the timely filing
deadline will be accepted with the payment of applicable late fees as set forth
in Rule XVIII, so long as they are filed by the absolute deadline set out in
Rule IX(a)(3). However, regardless of the date a Declaration is filed, the Board
shall have 270 days from the date the Declaration is filed to conduct its
character and fitness investigation and notify the Declarant of the Board’s
determination, as provided in Rule VIII(a).
(d) Upon receipt of a Declaration, the Board shall note the
filing date in its records. Absent a Declarant’s written request to retain a
Declaration, all Declarations will be destroyed five years after the date of
filing if the Declarant has not activated his or her file by applying to take
the Texas Bar Examination during that five year period.
(e) The Board shall conduct a complete investigation of the
moral character and fitness of the Declarant.
Rulebook
since August 29, 2003
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