Announcements
Changes to Mental Health Questions
At its June 17, 2022 board meeting, the Texas Board of Law Examiners unanimously voted to change all applications to remove questions about an applicant's diagnoses of or treatment for certain mental health conditions, substance abuse, or addiction.
To practice law in Texas, an applicant must possess present good moral character and fitness. TBLE staff investigates every applicant to determine whether the applicant possesses the required present good moral character and fitness. The investigation focuses on any conduct showing that an applicant has character traits or fitness issues that are likely to injure a client, obstruct the administration of justice, or violate the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct if the applicant were licensed to practice law.
The Board determined that removing the questions would avoid any misunderstanding or confusion about the purpose of the character and fitness review. More importantly, the Board wanted to encourage applicants to seek appropriate help for mental health challenges when necessary and to reaffirm its practice of assisting applicants, including working with the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program, when appropriate.
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