Communications once a complaint has been filed are with ethics counsel. Although there is no plea bargaining in the disciplinary process, it is possible to provide information to the ethics administrator or ethics counsel which may help bring about an acceptable resolution of a complaint. Once a formal complaint is filed , the proceeding is much like an ordinary civil action involving extraordinary and sensitive issues where the judges of the facts are fellow members of the bar and a lay representative. Any decision by the grievance panel which involves a recommendation for a reprimand, suspension, revo cation is subject to automatic review by the Supreme Court, whether an appeal is taken or not. Upon review by the Supreme Court, even when an appeal is not taken, an appellate decision is written and published.
Revocations are ordinarily final.
This article is reprinted with the express permission of The Iowa State Bar Association. It first was published in The Iowa Lawyer , the ISBA s monthly journal, Volume 60 Number 2, February 2000. This article may be copied from this website and reproduced with the permission of The Iowa State Bar Association as long as it is credited exactly as above. May 1, 2000. This site was designed by Troy L. Springston, Esq. and The Technology Committee of the Linn County Bar Association.