Law Library  Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:03: Legal assistance to the Commonwealth and to indigent criminal defendants and to indigent parties in civil proceedings (Effective August 1, 2026)

Table of Contents

• Section 1: Purpose (Effective August 1, 2026) 
• Section 2: Definitions (Effective August 1, 2026) 
• Section 3: Certification of eligibility
  • Section 3.1: Clerk's certification (Effective August 1, 2026) 
  • Section 3.2: Expiration of certification (Effective August 1, 2026) 
  • Section 3.3: New certification (Effective August 1, 2026) 
  • Section 3.4: Law school graduate student practitioner certification (Effective August 1, 2026) 
• Section 4: Court requirements, scope of practice, limitations, and privileges
  • Section 4.1: Notice of appearance (Effective August 1, 2026) 
  • Section 4.2: Boston Municipal Court, District Court, Housing Court, Juvenile Court, Land Court, and Probate and Family Court (Effective August 1, 2026) 
  • Section 4.3: Superior Court (Effective August 1, 2026) 
  • Section 4.4: Appeals Court (Effective August 1, 2026) 
  • Section 4.5: Supreme Judicial Court (Effective August 1, 2026) 
  • Section 4.6: Administrative agencies (Effective August 1, 2026) 
  • Section 4.7: Limitations of student practice (Effective August 1, 2026) 
  • Section 4.8: Privileged communications (Effective August 1, 2026) 
• Section 5: Responsibilities
  • Section 5.1: Supervising attorney responsibilities (Effective August 1, 2026) 
  • Section 5.2: Student practitioner responsibilities (Effective August 1, 2026) 
• Section 6: Notification requirements
  • Section 6.1: Supervising attorney notification requirements (Effective August 1, 2026) 
  • Section 6.2: Student practitioner notification requirements (Effective August 1, 2026) 
  • Section 6.3: Dean notification requirements (Effective August 1, 2026)