John E. Boemer, Secretary to the Board
Joanne G. Dowgwillo, Clerk to the Board

P. 0. Box 1911
District Court Building
Annapolis 21404 Telephone: 269-2140

Originally, the various courts were authorized to
examine persons seeking to be admitted to the
practice of law in Maryland. The examinations of
attorneys remained as a function of the courts until
1898, when the State Board of Law Examiners was
created (Chapter 139, Laws of 1898). The Board is
presently composed of seven lawyers appointed to
five-year terms by the Court of Appeals.

The Board and its administrative staff adminis-
ter bar examinations twice annually during the last
weeks of February and July. Each is a two-day
examination of not more than twelve hours' nor
less than nine hours' writing time.

Since 1972, the Board has used as part of the
overall examination the Multistate Bar Examina-
tion. This is the nationally recognized law exami-
nation consisting of multiple-choice type questions
and answers, prepared and graded under the
direction of the National Conference of Bar Exam-
iners. The MBE test covers six subjects: contracts,
criminal law, evidence, real property, torts, and
constitutional law. The MBE test is given on the
second day of the examination. The first day is
devoted to the traditional essay examination, pre-
pared and graded by the Board.

Pursuant to the Rules Governing Admission to
the Bar, the subjects covered by the Board's essay
examination encompass, but need not include, all
of the following subject areas: agency, business
associations, commercial transactions, constitu-
tional law, contracts, criminal law and procedure,
evidence, Maryland civil procedure, property, and
torts. Single questions may encompass more than
one subject area and subjects are not specifically
labeled on the examination paper.

In addition to administering two regular bar
examinations per year, the Board also processes
applications for admission filed under Rule 14,
which permits out-of-State attorneys who have at
least five consecutive years' practice to apply for
admission to the Maryland bar. That examination
is an essay type test limited in scope and subject
matter to the rules in Maryland that govern
practice and procedure in civil and criminal cases
and also the Code of Professional Responsibility.
The test is of three hours' duration and is adminis-
tered on the first day of the regularly scheduled bar
examination.

Judiciary/435

The requirement that all applicants to practice
law in Maryland be domiciliaries of the State by
the time of their admission to the bar was abol-
ished in 1982 (Code 1957, Art. 10, secs. 2-8).

Authorization for the Board continues until July
1, 1994 (Chapter 88, Acts of 1983).

JUDICIAL NOMINATING
COMMISSIONS

APPELLATE JUDICIAL
NOMINATING COMMISSION

Chairperson: James J. Cromwell

1st Appellate Circuit: Dorothy Startt; Peter Ayers
Wimbrow III

2nd Appellate Circuit: E. Scott Moore; Harry
Ratrie

3rd Appellate Circuit: Gloria Cole; James T.
Wharton

4th Appellate Circuit: John M. Sine; George A.
Brugger

5th Appellate Circuit: James B. Dudley; George
W. Settle

6th Appellate Circuit: Flossie M. Dedmond;
Kenneth C. Montague, Jr.

TRIAL COURTS JUDICIAL
NOMINATING COMMISSIONS

1st Judicial Circuit: John R. Purnell, Chairperson;
Sally D. Adkins; Harland Cottman; Edwin L.
Ellis; Harold B. Gordy, Jr.; Alexander G. Jones;
Walter Jones; Richard M. Matthews; Norman
Polk; Vaughn E. Richardson; Herman J.
Stevens; Audrey Stewart; Henry P. Walters.

2nd Judicial Circuit: Doris P. Scott, Chairperson;
David C. Bryan; Robert E. Bryson; Ernest S.
Cookerly; Betty T. Dickinson; Frank Howard;
James C. Hubbard; Christopher B. Kehoc;
Grace McCool; James 0. Pippin, Jr.; Prank C.
Sherrard; J. Willis Wells; Philip Yost.

3rd Judicial Circuit: Monroe I. Duke, Chairperson;
Louis Akers; Thomas G. Bodie; Eddie C.
Brown; Richard F. Cadigan; Selena Gaskins;
William M. Hesson, Jr.; John Bruce Kane;
Thomas F. McDonough; Robert Plummer;
Benedict A. Pokrywka; Sara H. Whiting; John
H. Zink III.