• Introduction.

We represent Florida Bar applicants in front of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. This includes investigatory hearings and formal hearings of any kind conducted by the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. In addition, we offer bar application review services. We have personal and professional experience dealing with the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. We understand how scary the process can be for bar applicants when the Florida Bar sends further investigatory letters asking questions regarding your application or requires a formal hearing. It may even feel like it is personal. However, we can assure you it is not. The Florida Board of Bar Examiners is responsible for admitting individuals that the public can trust to practice law in a professional, responsible and moral manner. They take that responsibility seriously and the vetting process demonstrates such. 

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• The Application.

When it comes to filling out and putting your Bar application together, it is imperative that you do it correctly in order to avoid as many questions form the Florida Board of Bar Examiners as possible. Even if you do not have any issues with your background, omitting information accidentally, or improperly inputing information can easily raise concerns. One common example of improperly inputting information is overlapping or inconsistent timelines. The Florida Bar will raise concerns and make further inquiries even for minor mishaps in your application. The best way to mitigate issues regarding your Bar application is to have an experienced attorney review your application and advise you of any recommended changes such as adding more information or being more clear where the application information is not. If you happen to be an individual who has background issues, it is imperative that you speak with someone who has experience handling these matters so that your Florida Bar application and background check proceeds in as painless a manner as possible. While of course there is no guarantee that you will not be asked questions, we can help mitigate the confusion as well as alert you to where questions may be raised so that you may better prepare to respond to them in advance. Corresponding with the Florida Bar can take weeks upon weeks to answer just a few questions the board has regarding your application. You want to be as thorough, clear, and prepared as possible to reduce the time it takes to review your application and have it cleared and approved. At Locay Law, we have experience doing just this. We also take it personally as we have gone through it personally. Thats why we offer a flat $249.00 fee to review your application and advise you of our analysis and any recommended changes and/or areas of concern as well as how to best fix them. Give us a call or text us! We want to hear from you! More importantly, we want you to be cleared and admitted into the profession. 

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• Florida Bar Hearings 

So, you got a notice to appear in front of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. You may be asking what is a hearing in front of the Florida Bar Examiners like? Hearings in front of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners can be daunting and freighting, but they don't have to be. Hearings are conducted formally and only at certain times at certain designated locations. For instance, the board will have a handful of locations throughout the state of Florida with only a handful of dates where the hearings will be conducted. Typically, there will be other applicants at that location for their own hearings as well. They will take in one at a time along with their representation for the hearing. You will then sit down in front of a panel of individuals from the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. They will review your application in front of you and ask you a series of questions where they have areas of concern. You will receive questions from most of the panel, often the questions will be follow up questions to your answer. Your attorney will generally not be able to speak for you, but we can clarify any answers you may be giving should the board not understand. This can last upwards of two hours depending on the severity of your situation.  However, most hearings tend to run 30-45 minutes. At the end, your attorney will typically ask you questions to further show your good character and touch up on areas where we feel more is needed. We will also give a brief statement on your behalf at the conclusion of the hearing.  It important to note that this is not a trial. The panel is looking at your character and trying to assess if you will have good character moving forward into the practice of law. Therefore, it is essential that you exhibit this characteristic during the hearing. We will get you ready for this. It's also very important to come to the hearing having exhibited this characteristic in your correspondences with the bar prior to the hearing as well as taking an active role to remedy areas of concern the board may have prior to the hearing. For example, if the Board is questioning your ability to handle debt or money, it is important to not just only say you can handle it, but demonstrate that you can. There are a variety of ways to demonstrate this prior to a hearing and we will assist you in doing so. Your actions go a long way!

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• Our Knowledge & Approach. 

Our office has extensive knowledge assisting Florida Bar Applicants with their application and investigatory hearings. The issue is also personal to Mr. Locay. He knows what it is like to sit in the "hot seat." As a result, we take this personal and your success and clearance is important to us. If you merely need a bar application review, we are here to help. If you are being questioned by the Board after submitting your application and would like guidance, we are here to help as well. We will take the time to asses you situation and what is being asked and how to best respond. If you are being called before the Board for a hearing for any reason, we will take the time to assess your application and why you are being called for a hearing and advise you of the recommended actions that need to be taken prior to your hearing. It is important to be proactive in a variety of ways to show the Board you are good candidate to practice law and should be admitted. We will also take the time to prepare you for the hearing. Most importantly we will be there for your hearing and represenat you accordingly. The vast majority of hearings have an attorney present for the applicant and it is also highly recommended. Give us a call, send us an email, or shoot us a text message and we are more than happy to discuss with you how we can help for free!

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