CHAPTER 74

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 54-60, 54-61, 54-62.1 and 54-62.2, as
amended, of the Code of Virginia, relating to requisites for taking bar
examination.

[S 164]

Approved February 27, 1968

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 54-60, 54-61, 54-62.1 and 54-62.2, as amended, of the Code
of Virginia be amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 54-60. Preliminary certificate of character and age required of
applicant.—No one shall take any examination under this article until
he shall file with the Board a certificate from the circuit court of the
county, or the corporation court of the city, wherein he resides, or the
judge of either of such courts, that he is a person of honest demeanor,
of good moral character, is over the age of twenty-one years, is a citizen
of the United States, and has resided in this State the preceding six
months; or if he is a regularly enrolled student in one of the approved law
schools of this State, a certificate signed by the dean and any professor of
the law school that he is a person of honest demeanor, of good moral
character, is over the age of twenty-one years, is a citizen of the United
States, and that he * will complete his degree requirements within
three months of the time of the examination, and a statement of intention,
signed by the applicant that he will complete * all degree requirements.

No such certificate shall be made by any such court or judge, unless
and until the name of the person applying therefor has been submitted
by the court, or judge, to three attorneys, practicing before such court,
who shall make a thorough investigation of the moral character and fitness
of the applicant and make a report of their findings to the court, or judge,
and the certificate shall show compliance with the above requirements;
but such report shall not be binding on the court or judge.

In any case in which an applicant for a certificate under this section
is refused the same by the judge of any court or professor from whom
such certificate is sought, the court or judge thereof or professor, as the
case may be, shall notify the secretary of the Board.

§ 54-61. Same; applicant under twenty-one years of age.—Any
person who is over the age of nineteen and under twenty-one years of
age may take any examination under this article upon filing with the
Board a certificate from the circuit court of the county, or the corporation
court of the city, in which he resides, or the judge of either of such courts,
that he is a person of honest demeanor, of good moral character, that he is
over the age of nineteen years, that he is a citizen of the United States,
that he has studied law for the preceding four years in the office of a
practicing attorney in this State pursuant to the rules specified by the
Board and that he will attain the age of twenty-one years on
The ou... ccc cceeccesscoeeees GAY Of ou... cccesecccesssccssssceceeees (giving the date). No
such certificates shall be made by any such court, or judge, unless and
until the name of the person applying therefor has been submitted by the
court, or judge, to three attorneys, practicing before such court, who
shall make a thorough investigation of the moral character and fitness of
the applicant and make a report of their findings to the court, and the
certificate shall show compliance with the above requirement; but such
report shall not be binding on the court or judge.

If such person is a regularly enrolled student in one of the approved
law schools of this State, in lieu of the above-mentioned certificate of a
court, or judge, he may file with the Board a certificate of the dean and
any professor in the school, that he is a person of honest demeanor, of
good moral character, that he is over the age of nineteen years, that he is
a citizen of the United States, that he * will complete his degree require-
ments within three months of the time of the examination, and that
he will attain the age of twenty-one years ON the ..........ccccccccccccccessscssessesetees
ay Of ...........cccccccssssccccccsssceccccssessccccessscees (giving the date).

In any case in which an applicant for a certificate under this section
is refused the same by the judge of any court or professor from whom
such certificate is sought, the court or judge thereof or professor, as the
case may be, shall notify the secretary of the Board.

No license to an applicant under this section shall be issued until he
attains the age of twenty-one years.

§ 54-62.1. Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (1) of
§ 54-62 any person who * is enrolled and in good standing in any such
approved law school and who, * in the regular course of study wilt
complete degree requirements within three months from the time such
examination is given, and has filed with the Board a statement of his
intention to complete * degree requirements at such school, may take
the examination provided for under this article, but shall not be issued any
license to practice law in this State until he shall have completed the
requirements of § 54-62.
§ 54-62.2. The provisions of §$ 54-60, * 54-61 and * 54-62.1,
as hereby amended, shall be in effect on and after * July one, nineteen
hundred * seventy; provided, that the right to take an examination
shall not, because of such amendments, be denied (a) to any applicant,
otherwise fully qualified, who on * July one, nineteen hundred *
sixty-six was engaged in the study of law in a manner then permitted
under this article, and who thereafter diligently and without interrup-
tion continued such study until its completion, or (b) to any applicant
eligible to take the examination provided for under this article on Decem-
ber thirty-one, nineteen hundred *_ sixty-seven.