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DC Bar Disciplinary Rules

(a) Duty of attorneys. The license to practice law in the District of Columbia is a continuing proclamation by this Court that the holder is fit to be entrusted with professional and judicial matters, and to aid in the administration of justice as an attorney and an officer of the Court. It is the duty of every recipient of that privilege at all times and in all conduct, both professional and personal, to conform to the standards imposed upon members of the Bar as conditions for the privilege to practice law.
(b) Misconduct. Acts or omissions by an attorney, individually or in concert with any other person or persons, which violate the attorney's oath of office or the rules or code of professional conduct currently in effect in the District of Columbia shall constitute misconduct and shall be grounds for discipline, whether or not the act or omission occurred in the course of an attorney- client relationship. Any of the following shall also be grounds for discipline:

(1) Conviction of a crime (see section 10);
(2) Discipline imposed in another jurisdiction (see section 11);
(3) Failure to comply with any order of the Court or the Board issued pursuant to this rule; or
(4) Failure to respond to a written inquiry from the Court or the Board in the course of a disciplinary proceeding without asserting, in writing, the grounds for refusing to do so.

(c) Review of board orders and inquiries. If an attorney objects in writing to an order or written inquiry of the Board, the objection shall be noted, but review of the order or inquiry by the Court shall not be available (except as provided in section 18 (c) with respect to subpoenas) until all proceedings before the Board have been concluded. If the Board imposes or recommends the imposition of a disciplinary sanction, the attorney may then seek review of the previously challenged order or inquiry by filing an appropriate motion or pleading with the Court. If the order or inquiry is reversed, vacated, or set aside by the Court, a previous failure to comply with the order or to respond to the inquiry shall not be a ground for discipline. If the order or inquiry is modified by the Court, failure to comply with the order or to respond to the inquiry may be a ground for discipline only to the extent that the order or inquiry is not modified.

Attorney Grievance defense attorney specializes in defending lawyers in disciplinary proceedings before the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission and the D.C. Bar's Board on Professional Responsibility involving professional misconduct, legal ethics, disbarment, suspensions of law licenses, petitions for disciplinary action, reprimands and sanctions for unethical conduct. If you receive a letter from Bar Counsel Lydia Lawless, Disciplinary Counsel Hamilton Fox, or from any attorney disciplinary board in Maryland or the District of Columbia, retain experienced attorneys with expertise in lawyer discipline and breach of ethics cases to avoid sanctions for professional misconduct. We help lawyers avoid disbarment, suspension, reprimands, censure and informal admonitions by drafting responses to client grievances and ethical complaints; representing lawyers in peer reviews, evidentiary hearings, and oral arguments before the BPR and the Court of Appeals; filing petitions to reinstate an attorney's license to practice law; conducting law firm ethical compliance audits; and drafting legal ethics opinions to protect lawyers from ethics charges. In many cases, disciplinary proceedings may be dismissed, dismissed with a warning, or result in a conditional diversion agreement with Bar Counsel to rectify misconduct. Lawyers may need help in managing their law firm attorney escrow IOLTA trust account and complying with attorney trust accounting rules to avoid charges of ethical misconduct. Do not represent yourself in responding to an attorney grievance, law firm client complaint, or other allegation of ethical impropriety. Attorney grievance defense counsel may help you comply with legal ethics rules, avoid sanctions like suspension or disbarment, and avoid future attorney grievances.

410.581.0070

By The Lawyer's Lawyers | Kramer & Connolly and Irwin R. Kramer who are responsible for the content of this informational website.   This website is designed for lawyers faced with attorney grievances. As cases do differ, past performance does not guarantee future results.
 

NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE ATTORNEY GRIEVANCE COMMISSION OF MARYLAND
OR THE BOARD ON PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE D.C. BAR