ISSUES
SUBMITTED TO THE
DISCIPLINARY
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND
PROFESSIONAL
RESPONSIBILITY RULES COMMITTEE
The New Jersey
Supreme Court has established two committees that one can contact when he or
she encounters a problem with the attorney discipline or fee arbitration
systems: the Disciplinary Oversight Committee (DOC) and the Professional
Responsibility Rules Committee (PRRC).
Problems that involve an ethics or fee committee failing to abide by the
rules should be reported to the DOC.
Problems that reflect a need for amendment of the rules themselves
should be directed to the PRRC. The
committees can be contacted at:
Eugene Troche,
Disciplinary Oversight Committee, P.O. Box 970, Trenton, NJ 08625, Phone
609-777-4173
Keith Endo,
Professional Responsibility Rules Committee, P.O. Box 970. Trenton, NJ 08625,
Phone 609-777-4173
The DOC meets
quarterly and we publish its minutes on the Bartender (see our main page).
The PRRC issues a biannual report to the Supreme Court in January of
even numbered years. The PRRC reports
for 2000 and 2002 are also available
on the Bartender.
Over the years,
Citizens for Justice has brought several issues to the attention of both
committees. Before contacting one of
the committees, readers may first wish to see if we have already addressed the
issue that they have encountered. Also,
readers can judge from the responses or non-responses received how seriously
these Committees regard public input.
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Issue presented: Are District Ethics Committee secretaries
misinterpreting R.1:20-3(f) in a manner such that they are declining (i.e.
dismissing) ethics grievances that ought to be docketed and investigated? R.1:20-3(f) permits secretaries to decline
ethics grievances that contain “allegations [that] are substantially similar to
the material allegations of pending civil or criminal litigation.”
Status: Pending--Submitted to
DOC on July 22, 2003. Receipt
acknowledged on August 11, 2003. Click here for all documents
relating to this issue.
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Issue presented: Current rules prohibit Superior Court
Judges from testifying as expert witnesses in attorney disciplinary
matters. Should Municipal Court Judges
be similarly prohibited?
Status: Pending--Submitted to
PRRC on June 24, 2002. Receipt
acknowledged on March 13, 2003. Click here for all documents
relating to this issue.
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Issue presented: If an attorney is suspended from practice,
should disciplinary authorities take a more active role in notifying the
suspended attorney’s clients of the suspension?
Status: Pending--Submitted to
DOC on January 27, 2003. Referred by
DOC to PRRC in or about June 2003. Click
here for all documents
relating to this issue.
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