Edmonds v. Webb

• Decision Date: 19 April 1943
• Docket Number: 31.
• Parties: EDMONDS v. WEBB et al., State Board of Law Examiners.
• Court: Maryland Court of Appeals

32 A.2d 702

182 Md. 60

EDMONDS v. WEBB et al., State Board of Law Examiners.

No. 31.

Court of Appeals of Maryland

April 19, 1943

Appeal from State Board of Law Examiners.

Application by Norman F. Edmonds to Frederick W. C. Webb and others constituting the State Board of Law Examiners, for admission to the Bar. From a decision of the Board disapproving the application, applicant appeals.

Affirmed.

William L. Rawls, of Baltimore, for appellant.

Frederick W. C. Webb, of Salisbury, for appellees.

Before SLOAN, C.J., and DELAPLAINE, COLLINS, MARBURY, GRASON MELVIN, and ADAMS, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

This appeal is from the decision of the Board of Law Examiners disapproving the application of Norman F. Edmonds as a member of a Bar of another State (Massachusetts) for admission to the Bar of this State under Sec. 7, Art. 10, of the Code by which it is provided that: 'Members of the bar of any State, district or territory of the United States, who, for five years after admission, have been engaged as practitioners, judges or teachers of law, shall be admitted without examination on proof of good moral character, after becoming actual residents of this State.'

There is no question of residence or moral character involved. Both are conceded.

In pursuance of this statute this court adopted a rule (No. 14) regulating registration of law students and admission to the bar, which provides:

'If any person shall apply for admission to the Bar of this State as a member of the Bar of another State or of the Courts of the United States pursuant to Section 7 of Article 10 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1939 Ed.), he shall file with the Court of Appeals a petition in which he shall state that he is now an actual bona fide resident of this State, shall name the State in which and the Court by which he was admitted to the Bar and shall also state that he has, for at least five years before filing his said petition, been engaged continuously as a practitioner or teacher of the law or a judge in one of the States (including the District of Columbia) of the United States. The petitioner shall file with his petition a copy of his license to practice, duly certified, or a copy of the Record of the Court in which he was so admitted, certified as required by law for the authentication of the records of the Courts of other States when offered as evidence in the Courts of this State.

'The petitioner shall also file a certificate of a judge of the State in which he was so admitted or a certificate from two members of the Bar of this State, or of the State (or District of Columbia) in which for at least five years he may have taught or practiced law or served as a judge, as aforesaid, certifying how long they have known the applicant and that he is not a person of bad or dissolute habits, but of good moral character; that he is, at the time of such certificate, a member of the Bar in good standing and that he has been actively and continuously engaged as a practitioner or teacher of the law, or judge in such State for at least five years before the filing of his said petition.

'The petition shall then be referred to the Board of Law Examiners of this State for an investigation of the matters set forth in said petition in such manner as to the said Board may seem adequate and proper. Upon the Conclusion of said investigation the Board of Law Examiners shall make a report on said petition

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