October 2026 | Client Alert
The Law
Puerto Rico has enacted Act 189-2026, amending Act No. 17 of 1939 (now renamed the Act for the Practice of Law in Puerto Rico), to eliminate the twelve-month residency requirement for bar admission, repeal the statutory provision contemplating admission without examination, and create a Special Board to study professional reciprocity and uniform bar examinations. The law took effect immediately upon approval.
Background
Under the prior framework, Act No. 17 required every applicant to have resided in Puerto Rico for at least twelve months before sitting for the bar examination and authorized admission without examination for certain attorneys admitted in other U.S. jurisdictions. Upon analyzing this statutory scheme, the Legislature concluded that the residency requirement was an unreasonable restriction contrary to the constitutional principle of equal treatment, citing Supreme Court of New Hampshire v. Piper, 470 U.S. 274 (1985), and determined that the admission-without-examination provision had become outdated given that the Supreme Court’s own rules already require all applicants to pass the bar exam.
Key Provisions
Elimination of the Residency Requirement; Repeal of Admission Without Examination. The amended Section 1 of Act No. 17 removes the twelve-month residency prerequisite. Admission now requires legal age, moral character, satisfaction of academic requirements, and passage of the bar examination. The law also eliminates the provision that contemplated admission without examination for attorneys licensed in other U.S. jurisdictions.
Special Board. The law creates a Special Board attached to the Supreme Court, with representation from the Puerto Rico Bar Association and the Colegio de Abogados y Abogadas, and potential participation by law schools, the Examining Board, and other experts. The Special Board must evaluate reciprocal admission models, assess the feasibility of adopting uniform bar examinations (including the UBE and the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam) in light of Puerto Rico’s legal system, and submit its findings and recommendations to the Supreme Court within one year (extendable by one additional year), with copies to the Senate and House of Representatives.
Why the Law Matters
Act 189-2026 removes a threshold barrier for attorneys licensed in other U.S. jurisdictions who wish to sit for the Puerto Rico bar examination. However, its immediate impact is limited: the bar examination remains mandatory, and Puerto Rico’s civil-law foundation means common-law-trained attorneys will still face a significant hurdle. The Special Board is a research body, with no binding timeline for substantive reform to that particular issue.
A more fundamental question concerns the Supreme Court’s exclusive authority over bar admission. Under Puerto Rico’s separation-of-powers doctrine, legislation touching bar admission is “purely directive, not mandatory” upon the Court. See Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico v. Schneider, 112 D.P.R. 540 (1982); K-mart Corp. v. Walgreens of Puerto Rico, Inc., 121 D.P.R. 633 (1988). Accordingly, while Act 189-2026 represents a valid expression of legislative policy, it does not by itself bind the Supreme Court, which retains inherent authority over who may be admitted to the bar.
Practical Considerations and Main Takeaways
Attorneys and law firms should consider the following:
- Attorneys licensed in other U.S. jurisdictions may now apply to sit for the Puerto Rico bar examination, without a prior residency requirement.
- Firms with multi-jurisdictional practices should monitor the Special Board’s forthcoming report, which could affect reciprocity frameworks and attorney credentialing.
- The Supreme Court’s own admission rules govern in practice and have previously been enforced at variance with the statutory text of Act No. 17.
- Legal education and bar preparation organizations should evaluate how the Board’s study may affect curriculum design and examination preparation.
Authors: Gabriel A. Miranda Rivera & Aníbal A. Román Medina
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