To Whom it May Concern:

This letter is intended to express my support for amending Rule 7, Section 5.01(c)(1). This amendment would allow lawyers with part-time experience to be admitted to practice law in Tennessee without examination.

At first glance, Rule 7 may seem innocuous, but the requirement effectively makes it harder for lawyers with part‐​time hours to practice in Tennessee. Preparing and sitting for the bar exam is a significant burden for existing lawyers: as you know, students regularly spend months preparing for the exam and even take out loans to cover the thousands of dollars in forgone income, bar prep courses, exam fees, travel, and lodging necessary to successfully complete the exam

The existing rule hits working mothers especially hard: of the 21.4 million voluntary part‐​time workers in 2016, 67 percent were women. Among these women, the most common reason for part‐​time work was family or personal obligations. LexisNexis previously found that most part‐​time lawyers were women, specifically mothers with children.

Tennessee’s licensing rule holds some of these women back and contributes to the fear that many women have that they will be penalized for going part time or taking leave from work while their children are young. This is truly unfortunate and ensures that the legal profession misses out on legal talent.