Opinions of the General Counsel

• Jurisdiction: Alabama,United States
• Citation: Vol. 75 No. 4 Pg. 0243
• Pages: 0243
• Publication year: 2014

Opinions of the General Counsel
Vol. 75 No. 4 Pg. 243
The Alabama Lawyer
JULY, 2014

J. Anthony McLain

The letter opinion below was recently submitted to and approved by the Alabama State Bar Board of Bar Commissioners.

MEMORANDUM

FROM: J. Anthony McLain

TO: Board of Bar Commissioners

DATE: April 24, 2014

RE: Title Insurance Act 2012-397

The Title Insurance Act 2012-397 became effective January 1, 2013. The Act amends sections 27-25-3 and 27-25-4, Code of Alabama, 1975. Section 27-25-4.4 specifically requires any individual who holds a title insurance agent license to complete a minimum of 24 hours of continuing education courses as may be approved by the insurance commissioner, of which three hours shall be in ethics, and reported to the commissioner on a biennial basis in conjunction with the license renewal cycle.

Following passage of the act, Alabama lawyers, who are also licensed title insurance agents, contacted the Office of General Counsel of the Alabama State Bar to seek an interpretation of the act's continuing education requirements, in view of the already existing obligation of lawyers to obtain the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education as required by the rules of the Alabama Supreme Court.

The Alabama Supreme Court has exclusive plenary authority over lawyers licensed to practice law in...