Chap. 152.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 3191, chapter 154, of the
Code, as amended by an act in force on and after February 2, 1892, and
by an act in force on and after July 1, 1896, relating to how a person is
licensed to practice law in the State of Virginia.

Approved March 14, 1910.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
three thousand one hundred and ninety -one of the Code of Virginia, as
amended and re-enacted by an act apprvoed February second, eighteen
hundred and ninety-two, entitled an act to amend an re-enact section
three thousand one hundred and ninety-one of the Code of Virginia, re-
lating to the licensing of persons to practice law in this State, and as
amended and re-enacted by an act approved January eleventh, eighteen
hundred and ninety-six, entitled an act to amend and re-enact section
three thousand one hundred and ninety-one of the Code of Virginia,
relating to the licensing of persons to practice law in this State, be
amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

§3191. The governor shall, from a list of fifteen competent lawyers
of this State, furnished by the supreme court of appeals and selected
as far as may be practicable from the five geographical divisions of the
State, appoint a board of examiners composed of five competent lawyers
of this State for the examination of applicants for admission to the bar,
whose term of office shall be as follows: One for one year, one for two
years, one for three years, one for four years and one for five years;
thereafter each year the governor on like recommendation shall appoint
one member of the board of examiners for the term of five years. Such
board shall meet at the Capitol in the city of Richmond once in each
year, and also in the city of Roanoke, Virginia, once in each year, and
also at other times and places in the State if the supreme court of ap-
peals shall so direct or the board of examiners shall deem it necessary,
for the purpose of examining male citizens for admission to the bar as
to their legal learning and general qualifications to practice in the sev-
eral courts of this State as attorneys and councilors at law; and upon
such examination being had the board shall certify to the supreme court
of appeals a list of such applicants as shall pass the required examina-
tion, and recommend their admission to the bar; whereupon the su-
preme court of appeals may issue to such applicants a license to prac-
tice law in this State, such license to be signed by three members of the
supreme court of appeals and made a matter of record upon the order
book of the said court.

The official stenographer of the supreme court of appeals shall be
ex-officio the secretary and treasurer of said examining board, and said
board shall make, with the approval of the supreme court of appeals,
such rules and regulations, relative to said examination as to them may
seem proper, which rules and regulations may from time to time be
altered or amended with the approval of the supreme court of appeals.

The first president of said board shall be the member thereof whose
term of office soonest expires, and three members of said board shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

The examination papers shall be kept on file in the office of the
secretary of said board at Richmond, and any applicant failing to pass
the examination may again apply after six months by showing to the
board that he has diligently pursued the study of the law six months
prior to the second examination, and shall not be required to pay an
extra or additional fee for the second examination.

The said board of examiners shall receive as compensation for their
services ten dollars per day for the time actually spent in the discharge
of their duties as members of the board, and the same mileage now
allowed by law to the judges of the courts of this Commonwealth, to
meet the necessary expenses incurred in going to, holding and returning
from the sessions of the board required to be held under this act, the
per diem and mileage of each member of the board to be fixed and
certified by the secretary of the board, and approved by one of the judges
of the supreme court of appeals; and the compensation to the secretary
and treasurer of the board shall be fixed by the said board: provided,
however, that all compensation for services and expenses herein pro-
vided for shall not exceed the amount received as fees from applicants
for license to practice law, which shall be fixed by the rules and regula-
tions adopted by the said board as hereinbefore provided relative to
the examinations to be held by said board: provided further, that if the
fees received from applicants shall in the aggregate exceed the expenses
of the examination, such excess shall be forthwith ‘returned by the
secretary of the board of examiners to such applicants ratably: provided
further, that all licenses granted or signed by any judge of the supreme
court of appeals of this State since the fourteenth day of January,
eighteen hundred and sixty-four, and all licenses heretofore legally
granted shall be as valid as if granted under this act; and provided fur-
ther, that the attornay at law holding the same has already commenced
the practice of his profession, or shall commence the practice thereof
within two years from the date of the granting of said license; otherwise
the said attorney shall not practice in this State without first obtaining
a license as provided by this act.

2. All acts or parts of acts in conflict with this act are hereby re-
pealed.