| SJC Rule 3:03, Legal Assistance to the Commonwealth and to
Indigent Criminal Defendants, and to Indigent Parties in Civil
Proceedings.
This Rule allows students in their next to
last year of law school to appear in civil proceedings and allows students in
their final year of law school to appear in civil and criminal proceedings on
behalf of the Commonwealth or indigent parties under the general supervision of
a member of the bar of the Commonwealth.
In accordance with this Rule, the Dean of the
law school must file a letter with the Supreme Judicial Court for Suffolk
County describing the student's character, legal ability, and training and it
must also indicate that the student has successfully completed or is enrolled
in a course for credit in evidence or trial practice. Also, the Dean must
include the supervising Attorney's name, office address and Board of Bar
Overseers number.
Upon the filing of the letter from the Dean,
the student will be given "Student Practitioner" status until such
time as he/she passes the next law examination and is admitted to the bar. The
student practitioner status will expire if he/she fails the next examination.
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