Supreme Court of Florida
In Re: Amendments to Rule Regulating the Florida Bar 1-7.3
July 9, 201540 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 426
Summary
The Court declined to amend Bar Rule 1-7.3(a) to authorize the Board of Governors to increase annual membership fees by up to $100 for legal-aid funding. Although the Court recognized an urgent legal-aid funding crisis and the importance of lawyers' role in expanding access to justice, it concluded that adopting the proposed amendment before completion of a broader study would be premature. Justice Pariente, concurring, emphasized that the proposal's nonmandatory nature and the Bar's opposition justified denial at this time; Justice Lewis and Justice Quince, dissenting, would have authorized the limited funding mechanism.