Rule 75-2 Oath of Admission

(a) Time. Within six (6) months after the date that the applicant is notified of the applicant’s passage of the bar examination by letter of licensure or otherwise, the applicant shall take the oath of admission. Failure to take oath in the prescribed period may result in expiration of the bar examination scores and revocation of the letter of licensure if one was issued.

(b) Fee. Prior to being sworn in, the applicant must pay a prescribed Certificate of Admission fee to the Bar Association.

(c) Every person before being admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth shall take the following oath: “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America, the applicable provisions of the Constitution, laws, and treaties of the United States of America, and that I will faithfully and honestly discharge my duties as an Attorney and Counselor in the Courts of the Commonwealth, and in my capacity as an Attorney and Officer of the Court, I will conduct myself with dignity and civility and show respect toward justices, judges, court staff, clients, fellow professionals, and other persons, to the best of my ability, so help me God.”

E-FILED CNMI SUPREME COURT E-filed: Mar 15 2024 01:33PM Clerk Review: Mar 15 2024 01:34PM Filing ID: 72525386 IN THE Case No.: ADM-2024 SUPREME COURT NoraV Borja OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS IN RE REPORTING PERIOD FOR JUDICIARY COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS SUPREME COURT NO. 2024-ADM-0005-RUL ORDER EXTENDING THE REPORTING PERIOD FOR COMMUNITY CREDITS ¶1 In February 2024, the NMI Bar Association (“Bar”) CLE Committee requested that we waive the first reporting requirements for attorneys admitted under NMI SUP. CT. R. 73-2 to take an additional 10 credit hours of continuing legal education. NMI SUP. CT. R. 73-2(g). We recently adopted this rule on October 2022. See 2022-ADM-0017-RUL. ¶2 NMI SUP. CT. R. 73-2(g) states, “In addition to the Bar’s Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements, an attorney admitted under Rule 73-2 must participate in Judiciary community outreach programs for at least ten (10) CLE credits per CLE reporting requirements.” The rule is clear that the required 10 Judiciary community outreach program credits (“community credits”) are additional to, and not inclusive of, the 20 credits required under NMI R. CLE 3(a). The rule is also clear that the community credits apply to all attorneys admitted under Rule 73-2 regardless of whether the admission is under the initial 4-year term or an extended 4-year term. ¶3 Community credits must be reported “per CLE reporting requirements.” NMI SUP. CT. R. 73-2(g). Rule 3(a) of the Rules for Continuing Legal Education states, “The reporting requirements for the compliance period shall be prorated based upon the number of months which the attorney is active for.” Community credits are required to be reported and are therefore also prorated for attorneys admitted to practice under Rule 73-2 after October 7, 2022. ¶4 Attorneys admitted on or before October 2022 had sufficient time1 and opportunity2 to comply with Rule 73-2(g). For the foregoing reasons, the Court declines to waive NMI SUP. CT. R. 73-2(g) requirements 1 Rule 73-2(g) was adopted with 15 months remaining in the reporting period. 2 On September 28, 2023, in response to the Bar President’s inquiry on which credits qualified as community credits, the Clerk of the Supreme Court identified 14.5 qualifying credits between September 2021 and September 2023. Of the 14.5 credits identified, 9.25 occurred between the adoption of Rule 73-2 and the end of the reporting period on December 31, 2023. In 2023, High School Mock Trial and Moot Court afforded qualifying community credits. for the first reporting period. At the same time, we recognize that community credits are a new requirement for limited admission attorneys and find good cause to grant additional time for compliance. Therefore, the Court hereby ORDERS that the reporting period for community credits ending December 31, 2023, be extended to December 31, 2024. ¶5 All attorneys admitted under NMI SUP. CT. R. 73-2 shall submit a supplemental report of their community credits to the Bar Association no later than February 15, 2025. This extension does not waive any reporting requirements for the period ending December 31, 2025. Community credits earned during the extension period may only be submitted for one reporting period. SO ORDERED this 15th day of March, 2024.

/s/ ALEXANDRO C. CASTRO Chief Justice /s/ JOHN A. MANGLOÑA Associate Justice /s/ PERRY B. INOS Associate Justice E-FILED CNMI SUPREME COURT E-filed: Oct 20 2022 04:21PM Clerk Review: Oct 20 2022 04:22PM Filing ID: 68279191 Case No.: ADM-2022 IN THE Judy Aldan SUPREME COURT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS IN RE AMENDMENT TO THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS SUPREME COURT RULES, TITLE IX, RULES OF ADMISSION ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER 2022-ADM-0017-RUL ORDER ADOPTING SUPREME COURT RULE 73-2 ¶1 On August 8, 2022, the attached proposed Northern Mariana Supreme Court Rules, Title IX, Rule of Admission 73-2, was submitted to the Twenty-Second Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature for approval. On October 5, 2022, the Senate unanimously accepted and approved the proposed rule, while the House of Representatives neither approved nor disapproved it within the sixty-day period required by Article IV, § 9 of the NMI Constitution. ¶2 Therefore, it is hereby ORDERED that the proposed Northern Mariana Supreme Court Rules, Title IX, Rule of Admission 73-2, attached as Exhibit A, is adopted as permanent pursuant to Article IV, § 9 of the NMI Constitution. This rule became effective on October 7, 2022, and supersedes the prior Rule 73-2. SO ORDERED this 20th day of October, 2022.

/s/ ALEXANDRO C. CASTRO Chief Justice /s/ JOHN A. MANGLONA Associate Justice /s/ PERRY B. INOS Associate Justice E-FILED CNMI SUPREME COURT EXHIBIT A AMENDMENT TO RULE 73-2 E-filed: Oct 20 2022 04:21PM Clerk Review: Oct 20 2022 04:22PM Case No.: ADM-2022 Judy Aldan Rule 73-2. Limited Admission

(a) Application for Limited Admission. An attorney may apply for limited admission to practice law before the Commonwealth courts without taking any portion of the bar examination.

(b) Requirements. To be eligible for limited admission under Rule 73-2, the attorney must:

(1) Be a salaried employee of the Commonwealth Government or Micronesian Legal Services Corporation;

(2) Have passed the bar exam and be admitted to practice law in another jurisdiction of the United States of America; and

(3) Provide a certificate of good standing for every jurisdiction the attorney is admitted.

(c) Scope. Admission under Rule 73-2 is limited to legal work performed for the Commonwealth Government or the Micronesian Legal Services Corporation.

(d) Application. An attorney seeking admission under Rule 73-2 shall pay the limited admission application fee and file the following documents, and any other documents as required by the Board, with the Bar Administrator:

(1) Application for Limited Admission Form “G”;

(2) Affidavit Form “B”;

(3) Authorization and Release Form “C”;

(4) NCBE Request for Preparation of Character Report Form “D” and prescribed fee in accordance with Rule 71-5;

(5) NCBE Application and Authorization and Release Forms which must be filled out online and can be found at the NCBE official website;

(6) Evidence of educational qualification as prescribed in Rule 71-2(b);

(7) Certificate of Good Standing from every jurisdiction that the requesting attorney is admitted to practice law;

(8) A certification letter from the applicant’s employer which verifies the date of hire; and

(9) Proof of payment of the limited admission application fee.

(e) The Rule 73-2 applicant may not practice law for the Commonwealth Government or for Micronesian Legal Services Corporation until the application has been approved and the applicant has taken the Oath of Admission pursuant to Rule 75-2.

(f) Duty to Report. Attorneys admitted pursuant to Rule 73-2 shall report to the Bar and the Supreme Court any changes in their employment within seven (7) days.

(g) Rule 73-2 Continuing Legal Education Credits. In addition to the Bar’s Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements, an attorney admitted under Rule 73-2 must participate in Judiciary community outreach programs for at least ten (10) CLE credits per CLE reporting requirements.

(h) Term. The term of the attorney’s limited admission is four (4) years, commencing on the date of the Oath of Admission under Rule 75-2. The term runs successively and may not be tolled.

(i) Extensions. An attorney admitted under Rule 73-2 may apply once to extend the term of admission for an additional four (4) years. To be eligible for an extension, the attorney must:

(1) Apply for an extension of limited admission under Rule 73-2. An application for extension must be submitted to the Bar Administrator at least thirty (30) days before the term expires. The attorney must not practice beyond the term of limited admission until the application for extension is approved by the Supreme Court to be effective.

(2) Pay the limited admission extension application fee.

(3) Meet the requirements under Rule 73-2(b) and (c) of being a salaried employee of the Commonwealth Government or Micronesian Legal Services Corporation. The application for extension must include:

(A) A sworn verification that the attorney continues to meet all of the requirements of Rule 73-2(b), and

(B) Proof of payment of the limited admission extension application fee. RULES OF ADMISSION Northern Mariana Islands Supreme Court Rules Title IX Rules of Admission Effective 0D\ , 201 E­FILED CNMI SUPREME COURT E­filed: Dec 19 2013 03:00PM Clerk Review: Dec 19 2013 03:01PM Filing ID: 54731689 Case No.: ADM­2013 Nora Borja IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS IN RE THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS SUPREME COURT RULES: RULES OF ADMISSION SUPREME COURT NO. 2013­ADM­0036­RUL ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER ¶1 On May 27, 2013, the amendments to the Northern Mariana Islands Supreme Court Rules:

Rules of Admission (“Rules”) became effective. The Rules purport to adopt the Uniform Bar Examination (“UBE”) and according to the Rules, the UBE will be the bar examination administered in this jurisdiction beginning in February 2014. The Rules anticipate reciprocity with other UBE jurisdictions; that is, scores earned in other jurisdictions which administer the UBE will be applicable in the Commonwealth and scores earned in the Commonwealth would be portable to other UBE jurisdictions. However, at this time, the Commonwealth does not recognize UBE scores earned in other UBE jurisdictions. Therefore, scores earned on the Commonwealth UBE are likewise not recognized by other UBE jurisdictions.

¶2 All portions of the UBE will still be administered in the Commonwealth in accordance with UBE standards and as described in the Rules. However, until such time that the Commonwealth agrees to reciprocity with other UBE jurisdictions, the National Conference of Bar Examiners will not identify scores earned on the Commonwealth UBE as portable to other jurisdictions.

¶3 Therefore, any portion of the Rules which purport to create a portable UBE score are hereby suspended. Further, any portion of the Rules which indicate that the Commonwealth is administering the UBE to the extent that language represents portable scores and reciprocity, are also suspended.

ORDERED this 19th day of December, 2013.

/s/ ALEXANDRO C. CASTRO Chief Justice /s/ JOHN A. MANGLONA Associate Justice /s/ PERRY B. INOS Associate Justice RULES OF ADMISSION AMENDED M AY 27, 2013