The Disciplinary Board was established in 1965 to provide for investigating, evaluating, and acting upon complaints alleging unethical conduct by attorneys licensed in North Dakota. The Rules of Professional Conduct are the primary guide for lawyer conduct, and the North Dakota Rules for Lawyer Discipline provide the procedural framework for the handling and disposition of complaints. These rules can be found on this website. The non-lawyer members are appointed from around the state by the Supreme Court from a list submitted by the State Bar Association, the Attorney General, and the District Judges Association. One lawyer member is appointed by the Supreme Court from each of the seven judicial districts.
All members are unpaid volunteers.
How the process works When a written complaint alleging attorney misconduct is received, it is filed with the Board's secretary and referred to either the District Inquiry Committee East, West, or Northeast of the State Bar Association. The chair of the committee reviews the complaint and, if appropriate, assigns the complaint for investigation to a member of the committee or staff counsel. If the complaint, on its face, does not indicate misconduct, an investigation will not be conducted and the matter will be referred to the committee for summary dismissal. Actions available to district inquiry committees are dismissal, issuing an admonition, probation with the consent of the respondent attorney, or directing that formal proceedings be started. Formal proceedings are begun when there is probable cause to believe that misconduct has occurred that deserves a public reprimand, suspension, or disbarment.