Rule 5 - GENERAL INFORMATIONa.Examination Conduct. All Petition must abide by the Rhode Island Bar Examination Regulations and Code of Conduct (the "Code of Conduct"). Failure to do so may result in sanctions by the Board or its authorized representatives including, but not limited to, disqualification and ejection from the examination site or referral to the Committee for hearing. At any time during the examination, Petition must be prepared to demonstrate that their clothing and other personal belongings do not contain items prohibited by the Code of Conduct.
The Board is not responsible for the loss or damage to personal property brought to the examination site.
b.Waivers. Requests for waivers pursuant to Article II, Rule 6(b) shall be filed on RISCAP and will only be granted for good cause. The Board will not entertain waivers of the eligibility requirements in Article II, Rule 1(a) - (d) or the Court Rules establishing the minimum passing scores required for admission to the Rhode Island Bar. Carelessness, inattention, or willful disregard of the Supreme Court Rules or these Rules of Practice does not constitute good cause. Waiver requests shall be accompanied by affidavit(s) setting forth the facts to support the request. The Board shall determine whether the request for waiver warrants a hearing or can be determined upon written submissions. Motions for rehearing or reconsideration of Board decisions on requests for waivers are discouraged.c.Appeals. Pursuant to Article II, Rule 6(b), an applicant aggrieved by a decision of the Board, including any decisions on a petition for a waiver, shall file a petition with the Court within thirty (30) days of the issuance of the Board's dicision Petitions filed with the Court seeking review of decisions of the Board shall be filed in accordance with Article I of the Supreme Court Rules of Appellate Procedure.d.Advisory Decisions. The Board does not issue advisory decisions. An applicant's qualifications for admission pursuant to Article II, Rules 1, 1B or 2(a) will be reviewed only upon the filing of a timely Petitions submitted in accordance with the Supreme Court Rules and these Rules of Practice.e.Confidentiality. The Petition filed by an applicant shall be maintained by the Supreme Court and shall be made available to the members of the Board, as needed, in order to carry out their duties. Except as otherwise set forth below or in Article II, Rule 3(b) of the Supreme Court Rules or as ordered by the Court, the actions and records of the Board shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed or open to inspection by the public. i.Permitted Disclosures. The Board reserves the right for the following permitted disclosures of its actions and records, including but not limited to applicant information and/or documentation: 1) The Board may publish a list of the names of all Petition who received passing scores on each examination.2) Upon written request from the Dean of a law school, the Board may furnish the law school with the names of all Petition who graduated from the law school noting which Petition passed and failed the examination and the number of times the applicant has taken the Rhode Island Bar Examination, provided that the law school has first agreed only to use such information internally within the law school for data collection and not to disclose the names of such Petition to any person or organization outside of the law school, unless otherwise agreed to by an applicant.3) Upon written request from the Rhode Island Office of Disciplinary Counsel and/or from the attorney disciplinary authority in another jurisdiction, the Board may release information and/or documentation with respect to an applicant to the requesting disciplinary authority, provided that the disciplinary authority has first agreed to use any such information and/or documentation for a disciplinary matter involving the applicant and has a rule or policy that guarantees the confidentiality of bar admission materials and records to the same extent required by these Rules of Practice.4) The Board may release information and/or documentation with respect to an applicant when necessary in defending litigation against the Board, the Supreme Court, their members, and/or staff arising out of or in relation to the bar admission process.5) The Board may release information consistent with the terms of any release signed by an applicant for purposes of admission to the bar of this or any other jurisdiction.6) The Board may release information allowed by law or as required by court order.7) Upon written request, the Clerk shall make available to the public the following information about an applicant as included in a Petition filed with the Court: name, address, year of birth, law schools attended, and the month and year of the examinations taken by the applicant in this or any other jurisdiction.8) Access to Information of the Applicant. Subject to any fees set by the Supreme Court, applicants may obtain copies of transcripts of any hearings where they are called to appear before the Board to address their qualifications for admission and of any materials supplied by third parties which have been the subject of such a hearing.f.Records Retention. The bar examination answer booklets of each applicant shall be maintained for a period of no less than sixty (60) days after the publication date of examination results, and thereafter may be destroyed in accordance with the records retention schedule of the Court.R.I. Brd. Bar Exam. R. Prac. Admiss. Examin. 5
Amended effective 3/5/2019.