The Supreme Court of Arizona appoints the members of the Disciplinary Commission. The Commission is responsible for reviewing cases of attorney misconduct and making recommendations to the Supreme Court regarding disciplinary matters. The Commission consists of six (6) attorneys and three (3) members of the public, who bring a diverse range of views and life experiences to the process. Commissioners are appointed for three year terms and are eligible for one reappointment. Commissioners are volunteers and serve without pay.
The Commission reviews disciplinary cases in the same matter as a court of appeals. The Commission reviews all recommendations of a hearing officer for sanctions of censure, suspension or disbarment, the Commission will review the matter. The Commission also reviews recommendations from Hearing Officers on petitions for transfer to and from disability status and applications for reinstatement. The Commission ensures that sanctions imposed are appropriate and proportional as governed by the American Bar Association's Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions and previous Arizona cases as reflected in the Disciplinary Cases Matrix. Sanctions may include dismissal, diversion, probation, informal reprimand, restitution, costs, censure, suspension and disbarment.
Click here to view recent Disciplinary Commission Reports.
The Commission generally meets the second Saturday of every month. Oral arguments are open to the public and are held at the Supreme Court of Arizona, 1501 West Washington, 4th floor, Phoenix, AZ.
Dates for 2011 Disciplinary Commission Meetings:
January 22, 2011
February - TBD
March 19, 2011
The next meeting of the Disciplinary Commission will be Saturday March 19, 2011.
The Disciplinary Commission's March 2011 Agenda is now available for viewing.
The Disciplinary Commission and its members serve a pivotal role in the attorney discipline process. This group of dedicated professionals work diligently to ensure the fairness and integrity of the process. If you are interested in being considered for appointment to the Commission, click on one of these links to download a public member application or a lawyer member application. Completed applications should be sent to the Attorney Discipline Unit.