Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions

        (1)  Every attorney not a member of the Bar of the Commonwealth who performs legal services in this Commonwealth solely for his/her employer, its parent subsidiary, or affiliated entities, shall file with the Clerk of the Supreme Court on a form provided, an application for limited certificate of admission to practice law in this Commonwealth. The Clerk shall forward the application to the Character and Fitness Committee. Such application shall be approved and a limited certificate of admission to practice law shall be granted, and shall be effective as of the date such application is approved, provided that the following prerequisites are satisfied.

            (a) The applicant must be admitted to practice in the highest court of another state or the District of Columbia, and be a member in good standing at the Bar of such court, or in such state, at the time of filing such application. 

            (b) The attorney applying for limited certificate of admission to practice law shall sign a sworn statement certifying to the Court that:

                (i) he/she has completed the study of law in an accredited law school;  

                (ii) he/she has been admitted to practice in the highest court of another state or the District of Columbia;

                (iii) he/she is presently in good standing at the Bar of such court, or such state;

                (iv) he/she will perform legal services in this Commonwealth solely for his/her employer, its parent, subsidiary, or affiliated entities.

          (c) A statement signed by a representative of such applicant's employer stating that such applicant is an employee for such employer, and performs legal services in this Commonwealth for such employer, its parent, subsidiary, or affiliated entities, shall be filed with the application.

         (2) Such applicant shall pay to the Clerk, at the time of submission of such application, a fee of one thousand ($1,000.00) and shall tender to the Clerk for transmittal to the Kentucky Bar Association payment of the current annual dues or fees of the Kentucky Bar Association authorized under SCR 3.040.

        (3) Upon granting of such limited certification of admission to practice law, such applicant shall be and shall remain, during the period of limited certificate of admission to practice law remains in effect, an active member of the Kentucky Bar Association, subject to all duties and obligations of members admitted under SCR 2.110 or SCR 2.120.

        (4) The only restrictions and limitations applicable to such attorney's right to practice in this Commonwealth shall be:
 

(a) Such attorney shall perform legal services in this Commonwealth solely for his employer, its parent, subsidiary, or affiliated entities, and shall not provide legal services, in this Commonwealth, to any other individual or entity.

(b) Such attorney shall not appear as Attorney of Record for his employer, its parent, subsidiary or affiliated entities, in any case or matter pending before the courts of this Commonwealth, without first engaging a member of the Association, admitted under  SCR 2.120 or SCR 2.110 as co-counsel, whose presence shall be necessary, when required by the Court, at all trials or other times specified by the Court. Nothing herein shall prevent such attorney from appearing in the Small Claims Division of the District Court as otherwise provided in Rule 3.020.

        (5) The performance of legal services in this Commonwealth solely for such attorney's employer, its parent, subsidiary, or affiliated entities, shall be considered to be the active engagement in the practice of law for all purposes. The past performance by such applicant of legal services in this Commonwealth solely for his employer, its parent, subsidiary, or affiliated entities, shall be deemed , for all purposed , to have been the authorized active engagement in the practice of law in this Commonwealth, if such attorney, at the time of the performance of such legal services met the requirements set forth in Sections 1(b)(i), 1(b)(ii), and 1(b)(iii) of this Rule.

        (6) The limited certificate of admission to practice law in this Commonwealth shall expire if such attorney is granted a certificate of admission to practice, or is admitted to the Bar of this Commonwealth under any other rule of this Court, or if such attorney ceases to be an employee for the employer or its parent, subsidiary, or affiliated entities, listed on such attorney's application, whichever shall first occur; provided, however, that if such attorney, within thirty days of ceasing to be an employee for the employer or its parent, subsidiary, or affiliated entities listed on such attorney's application, becomes employed by another employer for which such attorney shall perform legal services, such attorney may maintain his admission under this Rule by promptly filing with the Clerk of the Supreme Court a statement to such affect, stating date on which his prior employment ceased and his new employment commenced, identifying his new employer and reaffirming that he shall not provide legal services, in this Commonwealth, to any other individual or entity. In the event that the employment of an attorney admitted under this rule shall cease with no subsequent employment by a successor employer with thirty days, such attorney shall promptly file with the Clerk of the Supreme Court a statement to such effect, stating the date that such employment ceased.

        (7) Except as specifically limited herein, the rules, rights and privileges governing the practice of law shall be applicable to an attorney admitted under this Rule.

[Adopted effective July 5, 1985; amended effective January 13, 1986; August 1, 1992; Amended effective February 1, 2000; January 1, 2002]

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   Last modified: May 06, 2008