Pursuant to section 53 of the Judiciary Law, it is hereby

ORDERED that Part 520 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law (22 NYCRR § 520) is amended, effective July 16, 2014, or as soon thereafter as section 52 of the Judiciary Law is complied with, by deleting the following bracketed material from and adding the italic material to subsection 520.3(a) thereof and by adding section 520.17.

§ 520.3 Study of Law in Law School

(a) General. An applicant may qualify to take the New York State bar examination by submitting to the New York State Board of Law Examiners satisfactory proof that:

(1) the applicant attended and was graduated with a first degree in law from an approved law school; [or]

(2) the applicant attended and successfully completed the prescribed course of instruction required for a first degree in law at an approved law school, but has not been awarded the degree as of the date proof of eligibility to sit for the bar examination is required to be filed with the State Board of Law Examiners. The State Board of Law Examiners shall not certify the applicant for admission to the bar pursuant to section 520.7(a) of this Part until the applicant has presented satisfactory proof that the applicant has been awarded a first degree in law[.]; or

(3) the applicant satisfies the requirements of section 520.17 of this Part.

(1) the student is enrolled in the final semester of law school study in a first degree in law program at an approved law school in the United States, as that term is defined in section 520.3 of this Part, and satisfies any eligibility requirements set by the student's law school; and

(2) upon successful completion of the Pro Bono Scholars Program the student will have satisfied:

(i) the instructional and academic calendar requirements of section 520.3(c) and (d) of this Part; and

(ii) the necessary requirements for graduation at the student's law school, and will be awarded a first degree in law.

(1) the New York State bar examination administered during the final semester of the student's law school study;

(2) at least 12 weeks of full-time pro bono work at a placement approved by the student's law school and the Chief Administrator or a designee, where such work will be supervised by an attorney admitted to practice in the jurisdiction where the work is performed and by a faculty member of the student's law school; and

(3) a concomitant academic component at an approved law school in the United States, and any other academic requirements set by the student's law school.

(1) persons who are financially unable to pay for legal representation;

(2) not-for-profit legal service providers that predominantly address the legal needs of indigent clients where the work performed is for such clients; or

(3) governmental entities, so long as the work performed is on behalf of identifiable individuals who are financially unable to afford representation or whose unmet legal needs prevent their access to justice.