RULE 2.3. DISTRICT INQUIRY COMMITTEES.

Obsolete Date: 5/28/1997

A. Disciplinary Districts. The state is divided into disciplinary districts:

(1) Eastern District. The Eastern District includes the following counties: Barnes, Benson, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Eddy, Foster, Grand Forks, Griggs, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, Nelson, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, Traill, Walsh, and Wells.

(2) Western District. The Western District includes the following counties: Adams, Billings, Bottineau, Bowman, Burleigh, Burke, Divide, Dunn, Emmons, Golden Valley, Grant, Hettinger, McHenry, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Oliver, Renville, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Ward, and Williams.

B. Appointment. The association president shall appoint a nine-member district inquiry committee, consisting of six lawyers and three public members, within each disciplinary district.

C. Terms of Office. All terms are for three years and a member of a district inquiry committee may not serve for more than two consecutive three-year terms. Terms must be staggered so that no more than two lawyer members and one public member are appointed for full three-year terms in any one year. A member who has served two consecutive three-year terms may not be reappointed before the expiration of at least one year.

D. Chair. At the first meeting of each district inquiry committee in each calendar year, the members of the committee shall elect a chair who shall preside at all meetings, perform the usual duties of a chair, and be responsible for preparation of a report of the meeting to file with the board. A vice-chair shall be similarly elected to act in the absence of the chair.

E. Powers and Duties. Each district inquiry committee shall:

(1) Through members designated by its chair or by using the services of counsel, investigate all information about a lawyer which, if true, would be grounds for discipline or transfer to disability inactive or incapacitated status, and provide a report of the investigation to counsel for distribution to the district inquiry committee;

(2) Review investigative reports and recommendations; and

(3) Act on each complaint by dismissal, by issuance of an admonition or consent probation or both, or by directing counsel to file a petition with the board initiating formal disciplinary or disability proceedings.

F. Failure to complete reports or investigation. Failure of the investigator designated under section E(1) to complete reports in a timely fashion may result in reassignment of the investigation and removal, unless counsel is the investigator, of the investigator from the district inquiry committee by the association president. Failure of an investigator to timely complete an investigation under Rule 3.1Ddoes not prejudice the complaint.

G. Compensation. All expenses of the district inquiry committees incurred in connection with the enforcement of these rules must be paid from association funds.