Section 2-9.Certification of Applicants Recommended for Admission; Conditions of Admission

Section 2-9(a) requires the bar examining committee to certify the names of applicants it recommends for admission and notify each applicant of its decision.

Section 2-9(b) covers a narrower situation: an applicant whose health diagnosis, treatment, or drug or alcohol dependence caused conduct that would otherwise have made the applicant currently unfit to practice law. In that case, the committee may recommend admission only on the condition that the applicant complies with conditions the committee prescribes, tailored to detect recurrence of the conduct and to encourage continued treatment, abstinence, or other support. That determination follows a hearing on the record before the committee or a panel of at least three members appointed by the chair, unless the applicant waives the hearing. The conditional admission period can't exceed five years, unless the attorney fails to comply and the committee or court determines under Section 2-11 that a further period is necessary. The committee notifies the applicant by mail, and the applicant must sign an oath-backed agreement accepting and agreeing to comply with the conditions before the committee recommends admission. The committee forwards a copy of the agreement to the statewide bar counsel, who is treated as a party for purposes of defending an appeal under Section 2-11A.