May an out-of-state lawyer in a Missouri firm state licensed jurisdictions and pending Missouri admission on a business card?
Apply this to your situation
This page answers the general question as of 1996. Ask about yours and see what the current Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct say for your facts, with citations.
Plain-English summary
An out-of-state lawyer awaiting Missouri admission worked at a Missouri firm, planned research and drafting for licensed lawyers, and proposed a card listing existing licenses and pending Missouri admission.
The opinion approves the proposed card on the stated facts. It confirms the lawyer should not sign client letters or legal opinions, must disclose lack of Missouri admission without misleading clients, and may do the proposed research and drafting. It corrects the lawyer’s assumption about visiting-attorney practice: a Missouri resident is ineligible under Rule 9.03.
Currency note
This opinion was issued in 1996, before Missouri’s 2007 revisions to the Rules of Professional Conduct. Subsequent rule amendments or later opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context and verify current rules before relying on it.
Common questions
Q: Did the opinion approve the proposed business card?
A: Yes, on the information supplied, listing the licensed states and pending Missouri admission did not violate the rules.
Q: Could a Missouri resident rely on visiting-attorney admission?
A: No. The answer says a Missouri resident is not eligible under Rule 9.03.
Background and rules framework
The answer cites Missouri Rule 9.03 for visiting-attorney eligibility but does not cite a numbered professional-conduct rule.
Citations and references
Missouri Supreme Court Rules:
- Rule 9.03
See also
- Missouri Informal Op. 980010: Pending Missouri Admission
- Missouri Informal Op. 2024-13: Pro Hac Vice
Source
- Landing page: https://mo-legal-ethics.org/informal-opinion/960276/
- Rule revision reference: Missouri Informal Opinion 970082
Original opinion text
Reproduced from the official source for research purposes. The linked source is authoritative.
QUESTION: Attorney, who is licensed in other states and is awaiting licensure in Missouri, is in a Missouri firm. Attorney understands: 1 Attorney may not sign letters or legal opinions to clients. 2 Attorney must inform clients that Attorney is not licensed in Missouri and must not say anything that would mislead the clients. 3 Attorney may not appear in a Missouri court on behalf of a client unless Attorney has been admitted as a visiting attorney. 4. Until Attorney is licensed in Missouri, Attorney´s primary duties will involve drafting documents and doing research for licensed Missouri attorneys. May Attorney use a business card which indicates the states in which Attorney is licensed and a notation that Missouri licensure is pending? ANSWER: Attorney is correct on items 1, 2 and 4. However, regarding item 3, if Attorney is now a Missouri resident, Attorney is not eligible to practice as a visiting attorney under Rule 9.03. Based on the information Attorney has provided, the proposed business card would not violate the Rules of Professional Conduct.
What do the rules say today, for your facts?
This opinion is from 1996. Ezel checks the current Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct against your situation and cites the rules it relies on.
Opens in Ezel Pro.
- Checks the law as it stands today, not only this page
- Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
- Chat, drafting and research in one workspace