Effective March 1, 2020, an amendment to the Kentucky Supreme Court Rules (specifically, SCR 3.030(3)(a)) will require pro hac vice admission fees to be paid annually to the Kentucky Bar Association on the anniversary date of the out-of-state lawyer’s original PHV admission. The annual fee will be due for as long as the civil action remains active and counsel continues to appear in the case. The rule does not exempt those admitted PHV before the effective date of the amendment.
The amount of dues to be paid is the same amount paid by members of the Kentucky Bar for five years or more. That amount is currently $310, but KBA tacks on a 3.5% administrative handling fee to each admittee, making the amount to be paid currently on behalf of each attorney $320.85.
It is likely that the KBA will implement a process of notifying and billing active PHV admittees in the near future but in the meantime counsel are advised to mark their calendars to verify renewal of PHV admission prior to the anniversary date of such admission.
David Kramer is a Partner and Chair of the Civil Litigation Practice Group of DBL Law, with offices in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in Crestview Hills and Louisville, Kentucky.
