Opinion ID: 220574
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: LegslStandard

Text: Under the Rules of this Committee, An attorney may be subject to discipline or other corrective measures for any act or omission that violates the rules of professional conduct or responsibility of the state or other jurisdiction where the attorney maintains his or her principal office, or the rules of professional conduct of any other state or jurisdiction governing the attorney's conduct An attorney may also be subject to discipline or other corrective measures for any failure to comply with a Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure, a Local Rule of the Court, an order or other instruction of the Court, or a rule of professional conduct or responsibility of the Court, or any other conduct unbecoming a member of the bar. Rules of the Committee on Admissions and Grievances, Rule 4. A court of appeals may discipline an attorney who practices before it for conduct unbecoming a member ofthe bar or for failure to comply with any court rule. Fed. R. App. P. 46(c). Conduct unbecoming a member of the bar may include any conduct contrary to professional standards that show[s] an unfitness to discharge continuing obligations to clients or courts, or conduct inimical to the administration of justice. In re Snyder, 472 U.S. 634, 645 (1985). For [m]ore specific' guidance, we may look to case law, applicable court rules, and 'the lore ofthe profession,' as embodied in codes of professional conduct. Id at 646 n.7. Courts have consistently treated neglect of client matters and ineffective or incompetent representation as sanctionable conduct. See, e.g., Gadda v. Ashcroft, 377 F.3d 934, 940 (9th Cir. 2004),AmneslyAm. v. TownofW, Hartjord,361 F.3d 113, 133 (2d Cir.2004),Matlerof Rabinowitz, 596 N.Y.S.2d 398,402 (N,Y. App. Div. 1993). United States v. Song, 902 F.2d 609 (7th Cir. 1990), Maller of Kraft, 543 N.Y.S.2d 449 (N.Y. App. Div. 1989), In re Bi/honey, 486 F.2d 319 (1st Cir. 1973). Such conduct is also sanctionable under the applicable professional rules and standards. The American Bar Association's Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions call for a range of sanctions from reprimand to disbarment for various forms of lack of diligence and lack of competence!' ABA Standards §§ 4.4, 4.5. The Disciplinary Rules of New York's Lawyer's Code of Professional Responsibility require that [a] laWyer shall not ... [n]eglect a legal matter entrusted to the lawyer, D.R. 6-101(AX3); 22 N.Y.C.R.R. § 1200.30(A)(3) (2008); see a/so N.Y. Rules of Prof I Conduct R. 1.3(b) (effective Apr. 1,2009) (hereinafter N.Y.R.). In addition, the Code's Ethical Canons require that the lawyer should represent his or her client zealously, Canon 7-1, and that he or she be punctual in fulfilling aU professional commitments, Canon 7-38. Any finding that an attorney has engaged in misconduct or is otherwise subject to corrective measures must be supported by clear and convincing evidence. Rules of the 3 Committee on Admissions and Grievances, Rule 7(h). Once misconduct has been established, in determining the sanction to be imposed, we should generally consider: (a) the duty violated; (b) the lawyer's mental state; (c) the actual or potential injury caused by the lawyer's misconduct; and (d) the existence of aggravating or mitigating factors. See ABA Standards § 3.0. This Committee may recommend to. the Court's Grievance Panel a range of sanctions, including disbarment. suspension, public or private reprimand, monetary sanction, removal from pro bono or Criminal Justice Act panels, referral to other disciplinary bodies, supervisi