Full agenda awaits Board of Governors in May
A proposed budget holding Bar fees steady and a package of rule changes affecting military spouses, lawyer advertising, and discipline procedures head to the Board of Governors for final approval May 15.
The proposed 2026-27 Bar budget maintains the current membership rate of $265 for active members and $175 for inactive members. The budget was published online March 19 and printed in the April edition of the News for member comments or objections in accordance with the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar and, so far, has received no objections ahead of the May 10 deadline.
Once finalized, the proposed 2026-27 budget will be forwarded for Supreme Court consideration.
The board will also consider final action on rules changes to align with federal statute 50 U.S. 4025a, effective July 2025, which requires states to “provide” for the portability of law licenses for active members of the military and military spouses, eliminating many existing Bar restrictions. The changes will allow active military members to perform legal services beyond the requirements of their active military service, eliminate eligibility requirements that conflict with those of other states and the federal statute, and modify CLE requirements to be consistent with those of Florida Bar members.
The board will also consider final action on changes to clarify policy regarding the review of closed inquiries and disciplinary cases. The changes are in response to several instances of complainants requesting review just before or after the one-year disposition schedule for their case file. The changes clarify that: a complainant must request to review the closure of a matter within 30 days of the notice of agreement with the closure; the grievance committee chair directs grievance committee review; the chair’s agreement with closure precludes further action; the chair may reopen a matter for further investigation; and, the grievance committee may take any action allowed under subchapter 3-7 of Bar rules.
The board will also consider final action to delete a $100 filing fee from the rule for evaluation of lawyer advertisements, to be consistent with a recent Florida Supreme Court amendment.
The board will also hear proposed changes to:
Florida Supreme Court procedures for oral argument to comply with Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure
Removal of grievance committee members
Disposition of trust funds related to disciplinary revocation
Receipt of membership fees
Board of Legal Specialization and Education policies regarding peer review and delinquency notice requirements
Additional details can be found in the proposed board actions posted April 14.