In Re: Amendments to Rules Regulating the Florida Bar - Rules 6-3.5 and 6-3.6

• Court: Supreme Court of Florida
• Decided: November 20, 2025
• Docket: SC2025-0017
• Status: Published

Opinion

Supreme Court of Florida ____________

No. SC2025-0017 ____________

IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO RULES REGULATING THE FLORIDA BAR – RULES 6-3.5 AND 6-3.6.

November 20, 2025

PER CURIAM.

The Florida Bar has filed a petition and supplemental petition

proposing amendments to Rules Regulating The Florida Bar 6-3.5

(Standards for Certification) and 6-3.6 (Recertification). 1

The Florida Bar’s Board of Governors approved the initial

proposed amendments, and the Bar published them for comment.

No comments were received. At the request of the Court, the Bar

filed a supplemental petition revising the proposal for consistency

with recent rule amendments.

Having considered the Bar’s proposal, we amend the Rules

Regulating The Florida Bar as revised by the Bar in the

1. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 15, Fla. Const.; see also R. Regulating Fla. Bar 1-12.1. supplemental petition. These amendments grant the Board of Legal

Specialization and Education the authority to extend the time to

complete application requirements for board certification and

recertification on request by the executive director or board of

governors for good cause shown.

Accordingly, the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar are

amended as reflected in the appendix to this opinion. New

language is indicated by underscoring. The amendments shall

become effective January 20, 2026, at 12:01 a.m.

It is so ordered.

MUÑIZ, C.J., and CANADY, LABARGA, COURIEL, GROSSHANS, FRANCIS, and SASSO, JJ., concur.

THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS.

Original Proceeding – Florida Rules Regulating The Florida Bar

Rosalyn Sia Baker-Barnes, President, Michael Fox Orr, President- elect, Joshua E. Doyle, Executive Director, Elizabeth Clark Tarbert, Division Director, Lawyer Regulation, and Kelly N. Smith, Senior Attorney, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida,

for Petitioner

-2- APPENDIX

RULE 6-3.5. STANDARDS FOR CERTIFICATION

(a)-(e) [No Change]

(f) Extensions. The board of legal specialization and education may adjust the time for completion of the application requirements on the executive director’s or board of governors’ request for good cause shown, which may include, but is not limited to:

(1) national or regional emergency;

(2) flood, fire, hurricane, extreme weather, or explosion;

(3) disease, epidemic, pandemic, or quarantine;

(4) war, invasion, or terrorist threats or acts;

(5) extended riots, protest, civil unrest, civil strife, or political unrest; or

(6) local, state, federal, or foreign government recommendation, regulation, mandate, order, law, statute, or advisory.

Requests for extensions from individual members will not be considered.

RULE 6-3.6. RECERTIFICATION

(a)-(g) [No Change]

(h) Extensions.

(1) The board of legal specialization and education may adjust the time for completion of the application requirements on the executive director’s or board of governors’ request for good cause shown, which may include, but is not limited to:

(A) national or regional emergency;

-3- (B) flood, fire, hurricane, extreme weather, or explosion;

(C) disease, epidemic, pandemic, or quarantine;

(D) war, invasion, or terrorist threats or acts;

(E) extended riots, protest, civil unrest, civil strife, or political unrest; or

(F) local, state, federal, or foreign government recommendation, regulation, mandate, order, law, statute, or advisory.

(2) The board of legal specialization and education may adjust the time for completion of the application requirements on the applicant’s request for undue hardship for good cause shown.

-4-