IN RE: TERESA A. TALBOTT — OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING RECOMMENDATION TO RESTORE TO PRACTICE OF LAW

TO BE PUBLISHED Supreme Court of Kentucky 2026-SC-0383-KB IN RE: TERESA A. TALBOTT IN SUPREME COURT OPINION AND ORDER Teresa A. Talbott (“Talbott”) seeks restoration of her license to practice law in Kentucky. On March 16, 2026, the Character and Fitness Committee (“Committee”) of the Office of Bar Admissions (“OBA”) recommended restoration. For the reasons set forth below, we restore Talbott to the practice of law. BACKGROUND Talbott was admitted to the practice of law with the Kentucky Bar Association (“KBA”) on October 17, 1991. Her KBA member number is 83977. Talbott filed a Motion to Withdraw from Membership in the KBA pursuant to Supreme Court Rule (“SCR”) 3.480(1) in 2010, when she was a member in good standing with no disciplinary history. This Court granted her Motion to Withdraw on December 8, 2010. Since 2010, Talbott has primarily lived and worked in California in a non-legal capacity. She currently resides in Goshen, Kentucky.

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2 On November 6, 2025, Talbott filed an Application for Restoration pursuant to SCR 3.504. The Inquiry Commission filed notice that it had completed its investigation on February 17, 2026. In her application, Talbott affirms that she has never: (1) been charged with unprofessional or unethical conduct; (2) been charged with violating any law (other than traffic violations); (3) had an emergency protective order or domestic violence order issued against her; (4) been charged with fraud in any legal proceeding; (5) been adjudged bankrupt; (6) been discharged for unsatisfactory work; (7) been requested to resign from employment; or (8) been adjudicated incompetent or otherwise legally incapacitated. She further affirms that no unsatisfied judgments exist against her. The record contains no evidence contradicting these statements. An Application for Restoration under SCR 3.504 requires providing the names and addresses of three former clients. The Executive Director of the KBA waived this requirement for Talbott after communicating with the Applicant about the nature of her previous legal work. As required by the Application, Talbott provided the names and addresses of three Kentucky attorneys in good standing, each of whom attested to Talbott's character and fitness to practice law in Kentucky. The Committee reviewed Talbott’s application. The Application included a letter from the Office of Bar Counsel (“OBC”) certifying that Talbott has no pending discipline in Kentucky and has not been the subject of any claims against the Clients’ Security Fund. The Committee also reviewed a memorandum issued by the Continuing Legal Education (“CLE”) Commission

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3 on October 16, 2025, noting that Talbott is in compliance with the CLE requirements set forth in SCR 3.685 for purposes of restoration during the 2025-2026 educational year.1 The Committee subsequently found that Talbott “has met the standards set forth in SCR 3.502 and SCR 3.504 and has proven by clear and convincing evidence that she possesses the requisite character, fitness, and moral qualification for restoration to the practice of law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.” Accordingly, on March 16, 2026, the Committee submitted its report recommending approval of Talbott’s Application for Restoration. The Committee’s report and recommendation specified that, if after thirty days there is no appeal taken, under the provisions of SCR 3.504(3)(e), Talbott shall be referred to the Disciplinary Clerk, who shall issue a notice of recommended approval to the Board of Bar Examiners to take the restoration exam. The Disciplinary Clerk issued that notice on March 30, 2026. However, effective August 18, 2026, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued Administrative Order 2026-29, which suspended this restoration requirement. Accordingly, on August 26, 2026, this Court received the Committee’s recommendation that Talbott be readmitted as a member of the KBA. 1 Although the original certification from the Director for CLE only covered the 2025-2026 educational year, a subsequent memo issued on August 25, 2026, by the Director of Continuing Legal Education states that the “applicant is compliant with the CLE requirement set forth in SCR 3.685 for purposes of restoration/reinstatement and will not need to recertify CLE compliance for future educational years.”

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4 ANALYSIS Under SCR 3.504(1), “[a] former member who has withdrawn from membership pursuant to SCR 3.480(1) … may be restored to membership upon compliance with the conditions set forth in this rule.” The rule requires that the former member whose suspension from membership has prevailed for five years or longer submit an application and filing fee, as well as all applicable unpaid dues, a certification from the Office of Bar Counsel that the former member has no pending disciplinary matters, and a certificate from the Director of Continuing Legal Education. SCR 3.504(3). After the Director files the foregoing items, the Director shall refer the application to the Inquiry Commission, which imposes an additional fee payable to the KBA. Id. The Committee then reviews the application. Id. If the Committee recommends approval of the application and no appeal is taken to the Board of Governors within thirty days, the Applicant becomes eligible to sit for the written examination. Id. However, pursuant to Supreme Court of Kentucky order 2026- 29, effective August 18, 2026, SCR 3.504(3)(e) has been suspended. Therefore, if no appeal is taken to the Board of Governors within thirty days, that fact, along with a recommendation for the Applicant’s restoration to membership, is certified to the Kentucky Supreme Court and the Director. Id. “The burden of proof for establishing the Applicant’s present qualifications to practice law in Kentucky is on the Applicant.” SCR 3.504(5). Having reviewed the application, record, and recommendations from the Committee and the Board of Bar Examiners and noting that neither the

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5 Committee nor OBC requested conditions to be imposed, we agree with the recommendations and hereby adopt them pursuant to SCR 3.370(10). ACCORDINGLY, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Teresa A. Talbott’s Application for Restoration is granted. Pursuant to SCR 3.504(4), Talbott is directed to pay all costs associated with this restoration proceeding in the amount of $29.19, which should be paid from the deposit against costs. If these costs exceed the deposit Talbott paid, she shall pay any additional costs. If any amount remains after KBA recovers its costs, it will be refunded to Talbott. Talbott shall also pay any applicable unpaid Bar Association dues they may be owed. All sitting. All concur. ENTERED: October 22, 2026. ______________________________________ CHIEF JUSTICE

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