A new regulation will be in place next year outlining procedures for conducting the biennial review of committees that investigate and prosecute allegations of lawyer misconduct.

The Ohio Supreme Court Board of Professional Conduct has approved the regulation for recertification of certified grievance committees the board is required to perform under the Supreme Court Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio.

The regulation will take effect on Jan. 1, 2016, with recertification set to occur in the spring. The biennial review process in each even-numbered year is designed to ensure that grievance committees satisfy the minimum requirements established by the Supreme Court. Those include filing quarterly and annual activity reports, investigating grievances in a timely manner, and ensuring committee members comply with education requirements.

There are 33 certified grievance committees at city, county, and the state bar associations, with the authority to investigate grievances and prosecute formal complaints involving lawyer misconduct that occurs within their geographic jurisdiction or lawyers who practice in that jurisdiction.

The Board of Professional Conduct is a 28-member quasi-judicial body appointed by the Supreme Court that consists of 17 lawyers, seven active or retired judges, and four non-lawyers. In addition to monitoring and assisting certified grievance committees, the board also issues ethics advisory opinions; conducts educational programs for lawyers, judges, and judicial candidates; and hears formal complaints of misconduct involving judges and lawyers and makes recommendations to the Court on the appropriate sanction.

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