STATE OF MINNESOTA IN SUPREME COURT
ADM10-8002
ORDER ESTABLISHING INTERIM RULE CHANGE AND EXPANDING PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON PETITION FOR PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT ON LAWYER REGISTRATION
On March 24, 2025, the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education filed a petition recommending amendments to the Rules of the Supreme Court on Lawyer Registration. The proposed amendments would (1) allow inactive status lawyers and judges to request that their home address not be displayed in the Minnesota Attorney Registration System (MARS), and (2) detail practices prohibited while on inactive status. The petition and proposed amendments are available on the public-access site for the Minnesota Appellate Courts, under case number ADM10-8002 – Petition of the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education for Amendment of the Rules of the Supreme Court on Lawyer Registration (filed Mar. 24, 2025).
On May 20, 2025, we filed an order amending the Rules of the Supreme Court on Lawyer Registration based on the newly created State Board of Civil Legal Aid. Following that order, on June 2, 2025, the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education filed a supplement to their March 24 petition that incorporated our court’s May 20, 2025, amendments and added an additional proposed amendment to the March 24 petition. See Letter Re. Lawyer Registration Rules Petition, filed March 24, 2025 (Court File ADM10- 8002) (filed June 2, 2025). August 15, 2025 2
Accordingly, on June 27, 2025, we issued an order explaining that the court will consider the March 24 petition and proposed amendments to the Rules of the Supreme Court on Lawyer Registration, as supplemented by the June 2 correspondence and attachments, after providing a 60-day period for public comment and reviewing any comments on the proposed amendments.
Since that order was issued, in July 2025, safety and security concerns were raised related to the availability of some home addresses on the MARS website for both active status and inactive status lawyers. In light of these concerns, the court will also consider whether the proposed amendments to the Rules of the Supreme Court on Lawyer Registration should include a provision for active status lawyers who certify that the only address at which they currently receive mail is their home address, to request, based on safety concerns, that their home address not be displayed in MARS. This proposed amendment applies only to the posting and dissemination of this information online; it does not impact the public’s ability to submit a written request for public information to the Lawyer Registration Office. Newly proposed Rule 23(I) of the Supreme Court on Lawyer Registration would provide as follows:
- Display of Home Address in MARS. If a lawyer or judge certifies that the only address at which they currently receive mail is their home address, and makes a written request to the Lawyer Registration Office based on safety concerns, then their postal address will not be displayed in the MARS online system. Addresses will still be provided as otherwise described above.
While the court considers these proposed amendments, the court also authorizes the Lawyer Registration Office to temporarily suppress the home address of any lawyer who submits a written request advising that the only address at which the lawyer currently 3 receives mail is their home address and who, based on safety concerns, requests suppression of that address. This applies only to the posting and dissemination of this information online; it does not impact the public’s ability to submit a written request for public information to the Lawyer Registration Office. Addresses suppressed under this order will be suppressed until the lawyer changes the address to a distinct business or other address, requests to remove the suppression, or until the court issues an order promulgating rules related to the proposed petition, whichever occurs first.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Lawyer Registration Office may temporarily suppress the home address from the public MARS website of any lawyer who submits a written request advising that the only address at which the lawyer currently receives mail is their home address and who, based on safety concerns, requests suppression of that address. This applies only to the posting and dissemination of this information online; it does not impact the public’s ability to submit a written request for public information to the Lawyer Registration Office. Addresses suppressed under this order will be suppressed until the lawyer changes the address to a distinct business or other address, requests to remove the suppression, or until the court issues an order promulgating rules related to the proposed petition, whichever occurs first.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that any person or organization that wants to provide comments in support of or in opposition to the proposed amendments to the Rules of the Supreme Court on Lawyer Registration may file those comments with the Clerk of Appellate Courts, consistent with the requirements of Minn. R. Civ. App. 125.01(a). The public 4 comment period is also extended by an additional 30 days. All comments, including comments related to expanding the proposed language to allow suppression of home addresses for active status lawyers, shall be received by the Clerk’s Office no later than September 25, 2025.
Dated: August 15, 2025
BY THE COURT:
Natalie E. Hudson Chief Justice