IN THE SUPREME COURT OF TENNESSEE AT NASHVILLE IN RE: PRACTICE OF LAW BY ATTORNEYS DISPLACED BY HURRICANE KATRINA M2005-02177-SC-OT-CV - Filed October 5, 2005 On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall and caused devastating damage to the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Thousands of citizens, including many lawyers, from these states have been displaced from their homes and offices. The Tennessee Bar Association has petitioned this court to permit lawyers in good standing displaced by the disaster to practice law on a temporary, emergency basis in Tennessee in order that their client's interests be maintained. The Supreme Court has inherent authority over the practice of law in Tennessee and has enacted Tennessee Supreme Court Rules 7, 8 and 9 regulating admission and practice. In addition Tennessee Code Annotated section 23-1-105, authorizes the court to set the standards for admission of persons from other jurisdictions. Now, therefore, IT IS ORDERED that, notwithstanding Tennessee Supreme Court Rules 7, 8 and 9 an attorney holding a valid license issued by Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, who is in good standing with the attorney's home state bar and who is displaced from the attorney's home jurisdiction due to Hurricane Katrina, is permitted to practice law for sixty (60) days from the date of the entry of this Order from a location in Tennessee. IT IS ORDERED that attorneys practicing pursuant to this Order shall be subject to Tennessee Supreme Court Rules 8 and 9 in all other respects. Said attorneys shall register with the Board of Law Examiners. The Board of Law Examiners shall draft appropriate forms to adequately screen applicants on an expedited basis. Copies of the completed forms shall be sent by the Board of Law Examiners to the Board of Professional Responsibility. There shall be no fee for such registration. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 7, Section 10.04 is extended to include graduates from an ABA approved law school in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, who have taken the bar examination in any of those states in July 2005. The Board of Law Examiners shall draft appropriate forms to adequately screen applicants on an expedited basis. Upon review and written approval by the Board the applicant may engage in the practice of law on a limited and conditional basis, subject to the guidelines in Rule 7, Article X, Section 10.04. The ability to practice under this Section of the Rule, as modified by this Order shall terminate sixty (60) days from the date of entry of this order. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, because the Tennessee Bar Association has provided invaluable public service to the bench and bar in this matter, any costs associated with this matter are hereby waived. Enter this Order the 5th day of October 2005. FOR THE COURT: ________________________________ WILLIAM M. BARKER, CHIEF JUSTICE