Authority of the Committee of Bar Examiners

(a) Admissions

The Committee of Bar Examiners, pursuant to the authority delegated to it by the Supreme Court and the Board of Trustees, is authorized to determine and administer the requirements for admission to practice law, to examine all applicants for admission, and to certify to the Supreme Court for admission those applicants who fulfill the admission requirements. Any changes recommended by the examiners to the prerequisites to be certified for admission to practice law must be reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees and then submitted to the Supreme Court for its review and approval.

(b) Additional authority

In furtherance of its duties under these rules, the Committee of Bar Examiners shall:

(1) Have the power to conduct hearings on matters involving admissions and may take and hear relevant evidence, administer oaths and affirmations, and compel by subpoena the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents in accordance with Code of Civil Procedure section 1985 et seq.,

(2) Regularly review the revenues and expenses for the admissions fund and propose a budget for the Office of Admissions, subject to review and approval by the Board of Trustees, prior to the adoption of a final budget pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 6140.1;

(3) Recommend to the Executive Director of the State Bar any candidate under consideration for Chief of Admissions;

(4) Regulate and oversee law schools conferring a juris doctor degree in California that are not accredited by the American Bar Association, as required by Business and Professions Code section 6060.7; and

(5) Set fees related to admissions programs and related to the accreditation, registration, and inspection of law schools under (b)(4), subject to review and approval by the Board of Trustees.

(c) Delegation of duties

The Committee of Bar Examiners may delegate its duties described in this rule and rule 9.6 to a subcommittee of examiners, as necessary and where not prohibited by law or these rules. Unless otherwise stated in the delegation, the action of the subcommittee shall be the decision of the committee without further ratification. Actions taken by the subcommittee shall be reported to the full committee at the next regularly scheduled meeting.