Board of Overseers of the Bar v. Lee

NICHOLS, Justice.

In a case novel in this jurisdiction as a challenge to the power vested by our Constitution 2 in the Supreme Judicial Court as one of the three co-equal branches of government, an attorney, Freddie F. Lee, disputes the right of the Supreme Judicial Court by promulgation of the Maine Bar Rules to require every attorney in active practice in our state to pay an annual registration fee to the Board of Overseers of the Bar created thereunder. 3

The facts of the case are uncontroverted. In 1979 Lee filed a registration statement with the Board, “under protest” as he said, but…