Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 39, September 25, 2024
(a)
Attorney
grievance committees.
(1) The court
shall appoint two attorney grievance committees for the First Judicial
Department, each committee consisting of 21 members, all of whom shall be
appointed by the court. Each grievance committee shall have the power to
appoint its members to subcommittees. Each committee may act through its
chairperson, vice-chairperson or subcommittee.
(2) The court shall appoint as members of the
committees attorneys in good standing with the Bar of the State of New York and
non-lawyers, who reside or have a principal place of business in the First
Judicial Department. At least three members of each committee shall be
non-lawyers. Appointment to a committee shall be for a term of three years,
except members who have been appointed to complete unexpired terms, in which
case such members may be reappointed for three years or shorter terms. A member
who has served for two consecutive terms is not eligible for reappointment for
at least one year following the expiration of the second term. Appointments to
the committees may be made from lists of nominees submitted by the bar
associations and by such other means which the court deems in the public
interest.
(3) Each grievance
committee shall have a chairperson and a vice-chairperson who shall be lawyer
members appointed by the court. The chairperson and vice-chairperson shall
serve in that capacity for a term of three years and shall be eligible for
reappointment for not more than one additional term of three years.
(4) Committee members serving as special
counsel as of September 30, 2016 shall be deemed attorney grievance committee
members effective October 1, 2016 and shall thereafter continue to serve for
one three-year term.
(b)
Meetings of the attorney grievance committees.
(1) Meetings. Each committee shall meet not
less frequently than every other month. The committee chairperson shall preside
at all meetings of the committee. An agenda for each meeting of the committee
shall be prepared by or with the approval of the committee chairperson and
distributed to each member.
(2)
Quorum and manner of acting. Two-thirds of the membership of a grievance
committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and all
action shall require the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the members
present.
(c)
Pro
bono special counsel.
Pro bono special counsel shall be
volunteer attorneys appointed by the court for the purposes of assisting with
the investigation of complaints and providing expert legal advice to the
committees, chief attorney and legal staff. Upon initial determination by the
chief attorney that a potential volunteer is qualified, the chief attorney
shall submit the volunteer's name to the chairperson of the committee, and upon
approval by the chairperson, the chief attorney shall forward the volunteer's
name and descriptive information to the court, requesting the appointment of
the volunteer attorney as special counsel. Pro bono special
counsels shall be appointed for one-year terms.
