Missouri state Rep. Robert Ross (R) has announced that he is withdrawing his bill that would have made legislators eligible to practice law in the state. In a statement announcing the withdrawal, Ross defended the legislation as something he introduced to make a point — though that point wasn’t entirely clear from the press release.
The bill, introduced earlier this week to much mockery, said anyone who served two years in the state assembly would qualify to “practice law as an attorney in the state of Missouri” and they would be deemed eligible to serve as Missouri associate or circuit court judges.
“House Bill 2610 has fulfilled its intended purpose, and was filed to highlight an issue and subsequently prompt a conversation relative to the importance of education and experience necessary to operate as a professional; within any given field,” Ross said in his statement Friday. “Watching the ‘Doctors’ TV show doesn’t qualify one to perform surgery, any more than knowing how to use a tape measure prepares one to safely design a bridge, while serving in the legislature cannot adequately prepare one with the diverse education and experience necessary to file/try a case or represent a client before the court.”
The reasoning gets stranger yet, as the statement suggests that the bill was not just intended to show that legislators are not qualified to be lawyers, but lawyers are not necessarily qualified to do the bevy of services they offer.
“During a committee hearing on Professional Registration, an attorney recounted all of the functions that they could undertake (many of which would otherwise require years of specialized education and training), as a result of passing the Bar exam and becoming licensed as an attorney; nearly limitless professional functions (his words),” the statement said. “While disagreeing with the premise of this gentlemen’s argument, HB2610 underscores the training expected of professionals that we trust; while reversing the situation.”
Nevertheless, Ross went on to praise those licensed to practice law for the “expense, effort, and expertise required.”
“For the public’s protection and benefit, it’s incumbent upon each of the professions to understand and respect the areas within (and out of) each of their purviews,” he continued.
He ended the statement with a message for law students who may have thought of skipping the bar exam and getting their practicing license from serving in the Missouri general assembly instead.
“If you’re a student in law school, don’t drop out to run for the legislature just yet. Continue to work/study hard, and good luck on passing the Bar,” he said.
