Category: -Rules of Professional Conduct

Posted: December 21, 2023

Rules of Professional Conduct – Effective May 1, 2024

RPC01.02. Scope of representation and allocation of authority between client and lawyer. Licensed paralegal practitioner notice to be displayed. AMEND. Clarifies the circumstances under which a lawyer may advise or assist a client with respect to Utah’s cannabis laws.

RPC07.01. Communications Concerning a Lawyer’s Services. AMEND. Rule 7.1 was recently circulated for comment in response to a petition to the Supreme Court. That petition expressed concern about the direct solicitation of potential clients soon after traumatic events. The petition proposed returning to the Rules of Professional Conduct a ban on direct solicitation. Such a ban previously appeared in Rule 7.3 and still appears in the ABA Model Rule. The Utah Supreme Court eliminated the ban on direct solicitation in 2020. The proposed amendments that were drafted in response to the petition generated a large number of comments in opposition. Using Fla. Bar v. Went For It, Inc., 515 U.S. 618, 620–21 (1995) as a guide, the rule was redrafted to more narrowly address the petition’s concerns. That rule proposal is now the subject of this comment period.

RPC08.04. Misconduct. AMEND. Rule 8.4 circulated for comment last year. The proposal attempted to codify in a new paragraph (2) Ethics Advisory Opinion 02-05, which concluded that 8.4(1)(c) (conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation) does not apply to government attorneys overseeing an otherwise legal undercover criminal investigation. The proposal as written received a number of comments in opposition. A new proposal, which is now the subject of this comment period, provides that while it is professional misconduct for a lawyer to engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation, a lawyer may participate in lawful investigatory activities employing deception for the purpose of detecting ongoing violations of law. Those lawful investigatory activities include governmental “sting” operations; use of testers in fair-housing cases to determine whether landlords or real estate agents discriminate against protected classes of applicants; and gathering evidence of copyright violations.

Supreme Court Order

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Posted: June 29, 2023

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Posted: May 17, 2023

Rules of Professional Conduct – Effective May 17, 2023

RPC01.01. Competence.  AMEND.  Adds comment [9], which states, “Lawyers should be aware that their mental, emotional, and physical well-being may impact their ability to represent clients and, as such, is an important aspect of maintaining competence to practice law and compliance with the standards of professionalism and civility. Resources supporting lawyer well-being are available through the Utah State Bar.”
The ABA has proposed—but not yet adopted—a comment to Rule 1.1 that contains permissive language tying lawyer well-being to competence (See Advisory Committee materials here). The above comment is Utah’s version of the ABA proposal.
The ABA and jurisdictions throughout the country have grappled with the question of how to de-stigmatize the topic of mental health in the legal profession. Utah has taken the bold step of making well-being resources, such as Unmind and Tava Health, readily available through the Utah State Bar.
Comment 9 to Rule 1.1 takes this a step further by explaining the nexus between well-being and lawyer competence. The addition is not meant to be punitive or impose additional requirements or burdens on lawyers. Rather, it is intended to be educational and to point lawyers to the importance of prioritizing their well-being.
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Posted: April 18, 2023

Rules of Professional Conduct and Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Effective May 1, 2023

RPC08.03. Reporting Professional Misconduct. Amend. Clarifies that a lawyer or judge participating in a Utah State Bar-sponsored fee dispute resolution program is not required to disclose information gained in that program to the Office of Professional Conduct.

Supreme Court Order for RPC 8.3

USB14-01111. Exemption from future testimony and confidentiality of records and information. Amend. Clarifies when the Bar may disclose confidential information and what information it may disclose in the context of its fee dispute resolution program. A post-comment period amendment further clarifies that disclosure to law enforcement is permitted to the extent disclosure is necessary to prevent reasonably certain death or substantial bodily harm. Also clarifies that a Fee Dispute Resolution Committee member who participates in a fee dispute arbitration may not be called as a witness in any subsequent legal proceeding related to the fee dispute.

USB14-01116. Conduct of the mediation. Amend. Permits the fee dispute mediator to serve notice of the mediation by email on the mediating parties.

Supreme Court Order for USB 14-1111 and 14-1116

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Posted: January 26, 2022

Rules of Professional Conduct – Effective May 1, 2022

The following amendments clarify the ethical practice of non-Utah lawyers practicing law remotely while living in Utah.

RPC05.05. Unauthorized Practice of Law; Multijurisdictional Practice of Law. Amend. Clarifies that a non-Utah lawyer who is living in Utah may provide legal services remotely to clients in a jurisdiction where the lawyer is admitted. The lawyer must not establish a public-facing office nor hold out to the public or otherwise represent that the lawyer is admitted to practice law in this jurisdiction.

RPC01.00. Terminology. Amend. Defines a public-facing office as an office that is open to the public and provides a service that is available to the population in that location.

Supreme Court Order

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Posted: March 1, 2021

Rules of Professional Conduct – Effective May 1, 2021

Changes merge the attorney Rules of Professional Conduct and the LPP Rules of Professional Conduct into one set of rules. Currently, there are two nearly identical sets of Rules of Professional Conduct for each type of licensee. One set of rules is more efficient and makes changes and updates to the rules simpler and more uniform.

Preamble: A Lawyer’s Responsibilities.

RPC01.00. Terminology.

RPC01.01. Competence.

RPC01.02. Scope of representation and allocation of authority between client and lawyer. Licensed paralegal practitioner notice to be displayed.

RPC01.05. Fees.

RPC04.02.  Communication for Persons Represented by Legal Professionals.

RPC06.01.  Voluntary Pro Bono Legal Service.

Supreme Court Order

 

 

 

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Posted: February 6, 2021

Rules of Professional Conduct – Effective February 5, 2021, and Rules of Civil Procedure – Effective May 1, 2021

RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

RPC05.07. Responsibilities Regarding Law-Related Services. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT. Brings the rule in line with recent advertising rule amendments by amending Comment [10]. Effective February 5, 2021. 

Supreme Court Order for RPC 5.7

RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE

URCP065C. Post-conviction relief. AMEND. Addresses service of post-conviction petitions and the underlying court record. Effective May 1, 2021. 

Supreme Court Order for URCP 65C

 

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Posted: January 28, 2021

Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rules of Appellate Procedure, and Rules of Professional Conduct – Effective May 1, 2021

Rules of Civil Procedure

URCP083. AMEND. The proposed amendments would bring represented parties into the rule’s purview. They would also permit any court to rely on another court’s vexatious litigant findings and order their own restrictions. Paragraph (e)(1) was updated to fix a grammatical error.  

Rules Governing Constitutional Challenges

The following amendments to Civil Rule 24,Criminal Rule 12, and Appellate Rule 25A  are intended to better coordinate the provisions addressing constitutional challenges. The amendments do the following:

  • Address service on the Attorney General and other governmental entities;
  • Broaden the kinds of challenges that may arise;
  • Clarify that it is the governmental entity that responds, not the county or municipal attorney (which can be a contracted position in certain jurisdictions);
  • Eliminate outdated language in Civil Rule 24 in favor of the updated federal language;
  • Clarify in each rule the process and timing for the Attorney General or other governmental entity to respond to a constitutional challenge; and
  • Eliminate the requirement in Appellate Rule 25A that the Attorney General state the reasons for declining to file an amicus brief.

URCP024 – Redline and URCP024 – Clean

URCrP012 – Redline

URAP025A – Redline

Rules of Professional Conduct

RPC05.04. Professional Independence of a Lawyer. AMEND. Adds a clarifying comment to the rule.

Supreme Court Order for Civil Rules 83 and 24

Supreme Court Order for Criminal Rule 12

Supreme Court Order for Appellate Rule 25A

Supreme Court Order for Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 5.4

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Posted: January 22, 2021

Rules of Professional Conduct of the Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Effective January 19, 2021

RPC06.05.  Short-term Limited Legal Services. AMEND. Broadens the term “short-term legal services” to include one-time consultations and representations through government- and law school-sponsored programs. Further provides that other lawyers in a firm are not disqualified from representing clients whose interests are adverse to a client who received short-term limited legal services from a lawyer in the firm if (1) the lawyer who provided the services is timely screened from the adverse clients’ matters, and (2) receives no fees from those matters.

Supreme Court Order

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Posted: December 18, 2020

Utah Supreme Court Rules of Professional Practice: Office of Professional Conduct, Rules Governing the Utah State Bar, and Rules Governing Licensed Paralegal Practitioners – Effective December 15, 2020

The final rule changes reflect the recommended reforms to lawyer discipline and disability proceedings and sanctions contained in the American Bar Association/Office of Professional Conduct Committee’s Summary of Recommendations (October 2018).
Adoption of Chapter 11 article 5 rules:
General provisions
CJA11-0501. Lawyer disciplinary and disability proceedings: purpose, authority, scope, and structure.
CJA11-0502. Definitions.
CJA11-0503. Oversight Committee for the Office of Professional Conduct.
CJA11-0504. Jurisdiction.
CJA11-0505. Statute of limitations.
Ethics and Discipline Committee
CJA11-0510. Ethics and Discipline Committee composition.
CJa11-0511. Screening panel composition; responsibilities.
CJA11-0512. Respondent subpoena petitions.
CJA11-0513. Committee clerk.
CJA11-0514. Disclosure, recusal, and disqualification.
Office of Professional Conduct composition and responsibilities
CJA11-0520. Chief Disciplinary Counsel and OPC counsel.
CJA11-0521. OPC prosecutorial powers and duties.
CJA11-0522. Ethics advisory opinions.
CJA11-0523. OPC investigative subpoenas.
CJA11-0524. Retaining records.
Prosecution and appeals
CJA11-0530. Unprofessional conduct Complaints.
CJA11-0531. Proceedings before Committee and screening panels.
CJA11-0532. Exceptions to screening panel determinations and recommendations.
CJA11-0533. General procedures.
CJA11-0534. Final Committee disposition.
CJA11-0535. Appealing a final Committee determination to the Supreme Court.
CJA11-0536. Actions in district court.
CJA11-0537. Failure to answer charges.
CJA11-0538. Appointment of trustee to protect clients’ interest when Lawyer disappears, dies, is suspended or delicensed, or is transferred to disability status.
CJA11-0539. Costs.
CJA11-0540. Immunity from civil suits.
CJA11-0541. Service.
CJA11-0542. Additional rules of procedure.
Diversion
CJA11-0550. Diversion referrals, authority, and responsibilities.
CJA11-0551. Circumstances warranting diversion.
CJA11-0552. Diversion contract.
CJA11-0553. Respondent’s participation in diversion.
CJA11-0554. Terminating diversion.
CJA11-0555. Diversion Costs.
Discipline
CJA11-0560. Grounds for discipline.
CJA11-0561. Accessing disciplinary information.
CJA11-0562. Disseminating disciplinary information.
CJA11-0563. Interim discipline for threat of harm.
CJA11-0564. Finding of guilt or entry of a plea to a crime.
CJA11-0565. Discipline by consent.
CJA11-0566. Resignation with discipline pending.
CJA11-0567. Reciprocal discipline.
CJA11-0568. Proceedings in which Lawyer is declared to be incompetent or alleged to be incapacitated.
CJA11-0569. Noncompliance with child support order, child visitation order, subpoena or order relating to paternity, or child support proceeding.
CJA11-0570. Notice of disability or suspension; return of clients’ property; refund of unearned fees.
Sanctions
CJA11-0580. Purpose and nature of sanctions.
CJA11-0581. Sanctions.
CJA11-0582. Factors to be considered in imposing sanctions.
CJA11-0583. Imposition of Sanctions.
CJA11-0584. Reserved.
CJA11-0585. Reserved.
CJA11-0586. Reserved.
CJA11-0587. Prior discipline orders.
CJA11-0588. Aggravation and mitigation. 

Reinstatement
CJA11-0590. Reinstatement following a suspension of no more than six months or probation.
CJA11-0591. Reinstatement following a suspension of more than six months; relicensure.
 
Repeal:
Repeal of Chapter 14 articles 5 and 6
Repeal of Chapter 15 articles 5 and 6
Repeal of Rule 11-501
 
Amending rules:
USB14-0102 . Regulating the practice of law.
USB14-0103. Bar organization and management.
USB14-0105. Proposing rules to regulate licensed lawyers,
licensed paralegal practitioners, and judicial officers.
USB14-0107. Duties of lawyers, foreign legal consultants,
and licensed paralegal practitioners.
USB14-0111. Practicing without a license prohibited.
USB14-0202. Bar’s purposes.
USB14-0207. Finances.
USB14-0208. Special rules and regulations.
USB14-0801. Definitions.
USB14-0904. Funding.
USB14-0912. Processing claims.
URGLPP15-0402. Definitions.
URGLPP15-0701. Definitions.
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