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Supreme Court to hold hearing on allowing grads to practice right away

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August 27th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Supreme Court is holding a public hearing this morning (Wednesday) on change that would make it easier for the graduates of two state law schools to practice in the state. Court communications officer, Steve Davis, says a Blue Ribbon Committee from the Iowa State Bar Association recommended the change. “Currently after they graduate from Drake University Law school the University of Iowa College of law, they are required to successfully complete the Iowa Bar examination. Under this recommendation, they would no longer have to do that,” Davis explains.

Today’s hearing will include testimony from 24 people. Davis says there will be a variety of speakers — from law school deans, district court judges to the Iowa Attorney General — who will make comments. The court has already taken written comments on the issue. “There’s actually 152 written comments made, so the court’s going to have a lot of information to make the decision,” Davis says. The justices will make a decision after today’s hearing.

Davis says the judges will get together and discuss the issue, but there’s not a timeline for making a decision. Today’s hearing begins at nine a-m and will be streamed live on the court system’s website. Davis says the written comments and the proposal itself are all posted online at: www.iowacourts.gov.

(Radio Iowa)