Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:16 requires all persons newly licensed to
practice law in Massachusetts on or after Sept. 1, 2013, to complete a half-day
Practicing with Professionalism Course. While the SJC had temporarily suspended
the rule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SJC reinstated Rule 3:16, effective
Sept. 10, 2020. Under the reinstatement order, “lawyers admitted to the bar of
the Commonwealth between September 10, 2018, and the date of this Order who have
not yet completed a Practicing with Professionalism Course shall have
twenty-four months from the date of their admission to do so.”
The Massachusetts Bar Association is committed to ensuring that newly
licensed attorneys enter the profession in good standing by offering an
affordable and convenient means of satisfying this rule's requirement.
The course registration fee for this virtual program is $50 and includes the
following:
- Program materials associated with the PWP course.
- Recordkeeping and attendance reports to the Board of Bar Overseers, which
will be handled by the MBA.
This program is exclusively for newly admitted Massachusetts attorneys, in
compliance with SJC Rule 3:16. Attorneys must be sworn into the Massachusetts
bar before attending this course.
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, all courses will be offered virtually
(via Zoom). Registration is required by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept.
14, to participate in this program. After you register with the MBA,
please look for an email from MassBar Education with the
Webinar ID and password. The email will be sent prior to the course
date.