Hearings Committee

The Hearings Committee consists of members who are both lawyers and members of the public, who are appointed to hearing panels to consider individual cases. The number of times that members are asked to serve on a hearing panel in any given calendar year depends on the number of cases in which hearings are required.

When Disciplinary Counsel, acting on a referral from the Complaint Screening Committee, makes a request for a hearing, the Hearings Committee Chair appoints a hearing panel from the Committee's members.

Each hearing panel consists of three to five members, with at least one non-lawyer member on each panel. The Hearings Committee Chair designates a hearing panel chair as well as a reporter who is responsible for writing the panel report.

The hearing panel, after hearing the evidence, makes findings of fact and conclusions of law in a written report and recommends that the Professional Conduct Committee either:

• confirm the panel's determination that the respondent attorney violated one or more Rules and issue a disciplinary sanction, or
• dismiss the complaint with a finding of no professional misconduct.