| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a study and report on online law schools and on the |
|
|
licensing of attorneys who obtain degrees through online or |
|
|
correspondence law schools or who become licensed through other |
|
|
nontraditional methods. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 61.0908 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 61.0908. STUDY AND REPORT ON ONLINE LAW SCHOOLS AND |
|
|
LICENSING OF ATTORNEYS. (a) The board, in collaboration with the |
|
|
Board of Law Examiners, shall conduct a study regarding the future |
|
|
of online law schools and the licensing of attorneys in this state |
|
|
who obtain law degrees through online or correspondence law schools |
|
|
or who become licensed in other states through apprenticeship |
|
|
programs. |
|
|
(b) The study must include an evaluation of: |
|
|
(1) online or correspondence law schools in other |
|
|
states; |
|
|
(2) legal apprenticeship programs in other states; |
|
|
(3) alternative methods of accreditation of law |
|
|
schools in other states; and |
|
|
(4) alternative methods of licensing an attorney who: |
|
|
(A) obtained a law degree through a law school |
|
|
unapproved by this state; or |
|
|
(B) was licensed in another state through a legal |
|
|
apprenticeship program. |
|
|
(c) The board shall include the results of the study and any |
|
|
recommendations for legislative or administrative action in a |
|
|
report submitted to the governor and the legislature before |
|
|
December 31, 2016. |
|
|
(d) This section expires September 1, 2017. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2016, the Texas Higher |
|
|
Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules necessary to |
|
|
implement Section 61.0908, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |