Florida lawyers call for change.

Tear down the anti-reciprocity wall that keeps Florida lawyers from practicing in other states without taking that state's bar exam--and vice versa.

Change the curriculum so law students receive more practical hands-on experience, rather than just learning to think like lawyers.

Those two clear signals were sent from 1,148 Florida Bar members who participated in a Vision 2016 Commission survey conducted by The Florida Bar in the areas of bar admissions and legal education.

Seventy-seven percent of respondents favor, and 11 percent oppose, a rule change that would allow them to become a member of another state bar without taking the bar exam (but meeting other requirements) in that state.

That 7-to-1 ratio dropped to a 2-to-1 ratio when the question was flipped: "Do you favor or oppose allowing a member from another state bar to become a member of The Florida Bar without taking the bar examination (but meeting other requirements)? Sixty-one percent favored, while 30 percent opposed.

"Historically, Florida lawyers have had a visceral reaction to the term 'reciprocity,'" said Board of Governors member Lanse Scriven, who chairs the Vision 2016 Bar Admissions Committee.

"One of the most encouraging aspects of the survey results is that it reflects Florida lawyers are prepared to engage in serious dialog about the future of the profession, and that they understand the modernday realities of today's law practice are no longer neatly confined to state geographical lines."

As Scriven explained to the Board of Governors at its October 24 meeting, "Reciprocity has two components. The first one is what is called 'admission on motion.' When lawyers talk about reciprocity, they sometimes use the term incorrectly. Admission on motion permits lawyers to be admitted to a foreign state without taking that state's bar exam.

"Some states only permit admission on motion, if the foreign state, the lawyer's home state, also has admission on motion. So if the foreign state requires your state to have admission on motion, that is known as reciprocity. There are currently about 40 states that adopt admission on motion, and of that 40 about three-quarters require reciprocity."

No vote has yet been taken on the issue, Scriven said, stressing all the Vision 2016 Commission can do is recommend and educate. He added there are two stakeholders involved: the Florida Board of Bar Examiners and the Florida Supreme Court.

"I will tell you, when I first started studying these issues, I had a kind of traditional view, which is...