Caucus questions bill to make Arizona Supreme Court sole licensor of attorneys

Staff (speaker 16) presented Senate Bill 11-48, saying it “requires the Supreme Court to directly license attorneys in Arizona, restricts it from delegating this duty to any other organization, and provides guidelines for rules [the Supreme Court] must adopt to carry out this duty.”

A caucus member asked directly whether the change would remove the Arizona Bar Association’s role. One member asked, “So basically is this taking everything out from the Arizona Bar Association? Is this what I'm understanding?” A staff presenter and other members explained the bill’s intent is to return licensing responsibility to the Supreme Court rather than to a delegated board, with one caucus member noting “it's not the first time this bill's been run.”

Representative Diaz summarized the shift in practical terms: “They're they're putting the, onus on the Supreme Court and taking it away from the, from the Bar Association.” Staff said the Supreme Court is already directed to facilitate attorney licensing and that the bill would bring the responsibility back to the Court from the board that currently handles some of the work.

Why it matters: The measure would change which institution sets and enforces licensing rules for attorneys, affecting professional governance and the relationship between the court and the state bar.

What’s next: SB 11-48 was described as on a 30-consent calendar; caucus discussion did not result in a vote during this session.