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Rules of Appellate Procedure – Effective May 1, 2021

URAP034. Costs. Amend. The amendments to Rule 34: (1) provide a flat rate of $3.00 per page for costs in 34(c)(1); (2) change dates throughout the rule to increments of seven; (3) replace the term “taxed” with “awarded” throughout the rule; (4) comport the rule with Standing Order 11 (regarding filing documents by email); and (5) clean up other language for clarity and consistency.

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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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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  • Eliminate outdated language in Civil Rule 24 in favor of the updated federal language;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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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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Code of Judicial Administration – Effective May 1, 2021

CJA03-0201. Court Commissioners (AMEND). Clarifies that both the Council and presiding judges can take corrective actions in response to a complaint or poor performance, and “removal” was added as a possible corrective action.

CJA03-0201.02. Court Commissioner Conduct Committee (AMEND). More clearly defines the committee’s charge and complaint procedures, and creates an appeals process if the Committee dismisses a complaint without a hearing.

CJA03-0301.01. State Court Administrator—Complaints and Performance Review; Complaints Regarding Judicial Officers and State Court Employees (NEW)
Establishes the Management Performance Review Committee, outlines a process for reviewing the performance of the State Court Administrator, and creates an avenue by which complaints regarding the State Court Administrator, judicial officers, and state court employees can be received, reviewed, and investigated.

CJA03-0105. Administration of the Judiciary (NEW). Sets forth the authority of judges, courts, the Supreme Court, and the Judicial Council to administer the functions of the judicial branch.  Creates a process by which the Supreme Court and Judicial Council may assess and determine exclusive and predominate authority, and how those two bodies will communicate with each other when issues arise.

Judicial Council Order

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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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