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Court introduces fee for certificates of good standing, amendments to the corporate counsel registration rule
ANNE YEAGER
Supreme Court
Public Information Office
Published: January 24, 2020
The Ohio Supreme Court today announced the adoption of an amendment to the Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio that would add a fee to certificates of good standing.
The term “good standing” is now defined in the rule and gives authority to the Office of Attorney Services to issue certificates of good standing. The fee to request a standing certificate of good standing is $10 and the fee for a certificate of good standing with disciplinary information is $25.The fee takes effect Feb. 1.
The Office issues about 15,000 certificates of good standing annually. The review process before issuing the certificate involves checking various data sources to determine an attorney’s registration status, CLE compliance, and discipline record. The certificates have been issued without a fee since 2000.
After conducting a national review, it was discovered that an overwhelming majority (above 91% ̶ or 32 of 34 states) of state supreme courts charge a fee for certificates of good standing, ranging from $3 to $50. The new fees are within the national average. Request fees can be paid online by credit card.
Information on requesting a certificate is on the Attorney Services website.
The Court also announced adoption of amendments to the corporate counsel registration rule, which applies to out-of-state attorneys who serve as in-house counsel for a corporation or other non-governmental employer. These amendments take effect Feb. 1.
The amendments include:
• Removal of the requirement that an out-of-state attorney have a systematic and continuous presence in Ohio as a result of the attorney’s employment (emphasis added)
• An initial application fee of $500 corporate counsel status
• A grace period of 180 days from the date the attorney began providing legal services in Ohio to register for corporate counsel status. An attorney who registers within that period shall not be deemed to have engaged in the unauthorized practice of law.