Rule 16. PRIVILEGE
Effective Date: 7/1/2026
Communications to the Board, its committees, secretary or staff relating to an applicant's admissionto the bar or character and fitness to practice law, as well as testimony given in a formal proceeding, are absolutely privileged, and no civil proceeding predicated thereon may be instituted against any person providing information to the Board.
Rule 16 was adopted effective March 1, 1999, amended effective August 1, 2001; July 1, 2026.
Members of the Board, the Board’s committees, secretary, and staff members may be entitled to the protections of N.D.C.C. ch. 32-12.2 in a civil suit for money damages if deemed a state employee as defined in N.D.C.C. § 32-12.2-01(8).
SOURCES: Joint Procedure Committee Minutes of January 30, 2026, page 4; September 12, 2025, pages 5-6; Supreme Court No. 20250243.