Fee.

Board of law examiners.

Examina

tions, where held, etc.

Quorum.

such aforesaid state or territory. He shall pay to the said board at the time of filing his application the same fee required by other applicants under this act. On the filing of such application, together with such recommendation, such board of examiners shall make an independent investigation into the qualifications of such applicant, mental and moral, and his standing as a citizen and an attorney in the state or territory in which he was so admitted to practice law, and if the board is satisfied that the applicant has been so admitted and is licensed to practice in such court or courts above mentioned and is of good moral character and has practiced law for three years prior to the filing of such application and possesses the qualifications as to general education and good moral character required for the practice of law in this State as provided in section five of this act, such board shall certify its findings to the supreme court of this State, and the supreme court may, in its discretion, on the filing of such certificate of such board of examiners and on motion made by some member of the bar of said court, if said supreme court is satisfied as to the qualifications of such applicant, admit him to the general practice of law in all the courts of this State.

SEC. 3. There shall be a board of law examiners, consisting of five members, to be constituted as follows: The Governor shall on the nomination by the supreme court and on or before the first day of July in each year appoint a member of said board for the term of five years. The board of examiners now in existence shall continue and the terms of the members thereof shall expire as provided in the act under which they were severally appointed. Such board shall meet at the capitol, in the city of Lansing, at least once in each year during the session of the supreme court, and also at other times and places in the State, if the supreme court shall so direct, for the purpose of examining all applicants for admission to the bar as to their general education, legal learning and general qualifications to practice in the several courts of this State as attorneys and counselors at law and solicitors and counselors in chancery, and upon such examination being had, the board shall issue to each of the applicants who shall pass the required examination a certificate of qualification stating his standing and recommending his admission to the bar. Such board shall elect from its members a secretary and a treasurer, and shall make rules and regulations relative to such examination and to the conduct and performance of its duties under this act, which rules shall take effect upon approval by the supreme court. The president of said board shall be the member whose term of office shall first expire. Three members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The present rules of the board shall remain in effect until altered as provided herein.

t

SEC. 4. Any person of legal age, who is a resident and citi- y zen of the United States, who has had the general education prescribed in section five of this act and who is of good moral character, may be admitted to practice as an attorney and counselor at law and solicitor and counselor in chancery in all the courts of record of this State on motion made in the supreme court or any circuit court of the State, but the applicant shall first produce the certificate provided for in section three of this act, from the board of examiners, that he possesses sufficient learning in the law, good moral character and ability to enable him to properly practice as an attorney and counselor at law and solicitor and counselor in chancery in the courts of this State: Provided, That in case I of admission to practice by the circuit court the clerk of said court shall forthwith send a transcript of the record of such admission to the clerk of the supreme court, whose duty it shall be to enter the name of the attoney so admitted on the roll of attorneys of said court. No person shall be entitled to practice as an attorney and counselor at law and solicitor and counselor in chancery in this State until he shall be licensed to do so by said courts. No person shall be denied admission to practice as an attorney and counselor at law and solicitor and counselor in chancery on account of sex.

e

SEC. 5. Satisfactory evidence, as prescribed by the rules of the board of examiners, shall be produced by the applicant of his name, residence, citizenship, good moral character and the possession of a general education including the completion of a four years' high school course, or equiv alent work, and that he has been a resident student for the period of three years in a duly incorporated college or university organized under the laws of this or any other State, or four years in a law office under the supervision of a reputable attorney in good standing, who shall prescribe and direct the course of study of such applicant, examining him at regular intervals and certifying as to the work done, the books studied and the proficiency attained by the applicant. A fee F to be fixed by a rule of the board of not more than fifteen dollars shall accompany the application. Proof of the possession of the general education herein before prescribed may be made by presenting a diploma of graduation from the liberal arts or corresponding department of any reputable college or university, or of a State normal school of this State, or of a high school of this State requiring a four years' course including at least fifteen units of work of the high school grade, or of a reputable institution of similar char acter and with equivalent requirements of this or any other State. Graduates of reputable law schools (or others who g have completed the regular course of study in such schools) requiring a three years' course for graduation and a four years' high school course, or its equivalent, for admission, may in lieu of the foregoing certificates present a certificate from the law school from which the applicant has been grad

f S

examination.

Who ineligible.

uated, which certificate shall show in detail the high school work, or its equivalent, upon which said applicant was admitted to said law school, or that the applicant before admission was examined by said law school as to his preliminary education, and that the same was found upon such examination to be in fact equal to four years' high school course or Written, etc., its equivalent. The applicant shall be required to submit to a written examination prepared by said board, and also to such oral examination as the board may think proper. The subjects upon which applicants shall be examined shall be determined and published by the said Board of Law Examiners, who shall also make and publish rules and regulations concerning the conduct of said examination and the scholarship grades to be obtained. No person who has not completed the regular course of study of a reputable law school with a three years' course shall be eligible to the examinations for admission to the bar, unless at least four years before he takes such examinations, he has filed with the secretary of the Board of Law Examiners a statement supported by his affidavit, and that of the attorney under whom he proposes to study, to the effect that he is beginning the study of law with said preceptor, giving the name and address of the same, and that he proposes to apply for admission to the bar when eligi ble: Provided, That any student now engaged in the study. of law under a preceptor in a law office may qualify under the provisions of this act by filing notice of his intentions and proof as is provided in this section, within six months from the passage of this act. Blanks for these purposes shall be furnished by the board of examiners: Provided also, That any person actually enrolled in the department of law of the University of Michigan, Detroit College of Law or the law department of the University of Detroit prior to the time this act takes effect and who shall have completed the full prescribed law course in and have been graduated from the law department of any of the above mentioned institutions shall be admitted to practice at the bar of all the courts of this State upon the production of a diploma authenticated by the proper officers and duly sealed by the said University of Michigan, Detroit College of Law or University of Detroit: Provided further, That a student may enter any reputable law school without credits for a full high school course or its equivalent if he is deficient not more than twenty-five per cent of such high school course or its equivalent, and he makes up such deficiency before the beginning of the third year of his law course.

Proviso.

Proviso, law graduates, etc.

Further proviso.

Examination

filed, etc.

SEC. 6. The examination papers shall be kept on file in the papers, where office of the secretary of the board, and a record of such application and the name of the applicant and his qualifications and general standing as ascertained by each examination, and the secretary of the board shall furnish each applicant with a card, showing the proficiency he has attained in each branch or subject upon which he has been examined, whether

a certificate is issued or not. Any applicant failing to pass 1 the examination may again apply after six months by showing to the board that he has diligently pursued the study of law six months prior to the examination, and he shall not be required to pay an extra fee for the second examination. For each subsequent examination the applicant shall pay to 1 said board a fee of ten dollars. No person shall be eligible to more than three examinations within a period of three years.

SEC. 7. The board of examiners shall receive as compensa- 1 tion for their services twenty-five dollars per day for the time actually spent and their necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties as examiners in going to, holding and returning from such examinations; and the other necessary expenses of the board shall also be paid, all to be audited and certified by the clerk or one of the judges of the supreme court: Provided, however, That all compensation I for services or expenses of the members of the board shall not exceed the amount received as fees from applicants. Any excess of fees received from applicants over the amount necessary to pay any sums for the future compensation and expenses of the members of said board and the expenses of said board, shall be turned into the State treasury by the treasurer of said board on the first day of July of each year.

SEC. 8. Act number two hundred five of the public acts of A eighteen hundred ninety-five, as amended by act number ninety-three of the public acts of eighteen hundred ninety-seven, being compiler's sections one thousand one hundred nineteen, one thousand one hundred twenty, one thousand one hundred twenty-one, one thousand one hundred twenty-two, one thousand one hundred twenty-three, one thousand one hundred twenty-four, and one thousand one hundred twenty-five of the compiled laws of eighteen hundred ninety-seven and all other acts or parts of acts so far as they may conflict with this act are hereby repealed.

Approved May 2, 1913.

[No. 164.]

AN ACT to require the filing of certificates of copartnership, fixing the liability of copartners and providing a penalty for violation of the provisions of this act.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

SECTION 1. No two or more persons shall hereafter be engaged in carrying on any business as copartners unless such persons shall first make and file with the county clerk of the county in which such copartnership business is or shall be

Proviso.

Change in name, etc.

Certified copy evidence of

certificate.

located, a certificate in writing, to be signed by each, and verified by the affidavit of one of the members of said copartnership, setting forth the full name of each and every person composing the said copartnership, and the residence of each, the name and style of the firm, and the length of time for which it is to continue, if limited by the partnership contract, and also the locality of their place of business; which certificate shall be kept in the office of the said county clerk, as a public document, and open to the inspection of any person: Provided, That any copartnership that has filed the certificate required by act number one hundred one of the public acts of nineteen hundred seven, shall not be required to file the certificate herein provided for.

SEC. 2. In case there shall be at any time after the making and filing of said certificate, any change in the name or style of said firm, or in the time of its existence, then a new certificate, verified as before specified, shall in like manner be filed as required by section one of this act, before such change shall take effect; and until such new certificate shall have been made and filed, as above specified, the individual members of the firm, as set forth in the certificate on file, shall be held to be the actual members of the firm, and in all respects holden and liable for any obligation, debt or liability, incurred by the said copartnership.

SEC. 3. A certified copy of the said certificate on file in facts stated in the county clerk's office, signed by the county clerk, and attested by the seal of the circuit court of the county, shall be held to be good and sufficient evidence of any or all the facts in said certificate stated and set forth.

When certificate filed.

Alphabetical index by clerks, fee.

Misdemeanor, penalty.

SEC. 4. Persons now owning or conducting any such business as copartners shall file such certificate as herein before prescribed within ninety days after this act shall take effect, and persons hereafter owning, conducting or transacting business as aforesaid shall, before commencing said business, file such certificate in the manner herein before prescribed.

SEC. 5. The several county clerks of this State shall keep an alphabetical index of all certificates, provided for herein, and for the indexing and filing of such certificates they shall receive a fee of twenty-five cents, to be paid by the party filing the same.

SEC. 6. Any two or more persons owning, carrying on or conducting or transacting business as aforesaid who shall fail to comply with the provisions of this act, shall each be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten dollars nor more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding thirty days or by both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court; and each day any person or persons shall violate any provision of this act shall be deemed a separate offense.

Approved May 2, 1913.