Rules Governing the State Bar, Rules Governing Licensed Paralegal Practitioner, and Licensed Paralegal Practitioners Rules of Professional Conduct – Comment Period Closed March 8, 2019

Rules Governing the State Bar

USB14-0802. Authorization to practice law. The amendments to Rule 14-802 clarify that the forms an LPP may use are forms approved by the Judicial Council.

Rules Governing Licensed Paralegal Practitioners

URGLPP15-0510. Prosecution and appeals. The amendment to Rule 15-510 changes a cross reference to Standing Order No.7 to a cross reference to Rule 14-303.

Licensed Paralegal Practitioners Rules of Professional Conduct

LPP1.013. Organization as a client. Rule 1.13 is repealed because it governs when an LPP represents an organization as a client and an LPP may not represent an organization as a client.

LPP5.04. Professional independence of a licensed paralegal practitioner and LPP6.01. Voluntary pro bono legal service.

The amendments to Rules 5.4 and 6.1 remove language that refers to an LPP representing an organization as a client. An LPP may not represent an organization as a client.

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Rules of Criminal Procedure – Comment Period Closed February 23, 2019

URCrP007B. The proposed amendment states that a motion to quash a bindover will be decided by the judge to whom the case is assigned after bindover.

URCrP016. The proposed amendments create greater specificity about the information that must be disclosed by the prosecution and by the defense. And the proposed amendments expand on the consequences for failing to disclose information.

URCrP027. The proposed amendments will allow a defendant to seek a stay upon filing a motion for a new trial.

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Rules of Juvenile Procedure – Comment Period Closed February 4, 2019

URJP009. Detention hearings; scheduling; hearing procedures.  Clarifies conditions under which a minor may be held in detention and deletes the Advisory Committee Note.

URJP027A. Admission of statements given by minors.  Revised to delete paragraph (a)(2) due to concerns that the language may unconstitutionally shift the  burden to a juvenile to show that the juvenile did not knowingly and voluntarily waive his or her rights. Also deletes the Advisory Committee Note.

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Rules Governing the State Bar – Comment Period Closed February 3, 2019

USB14-0302. Definitions. New. This is part of an effort to codify Standing Order No. 7, which established a program of professionalism counseling for members of the Utah State Bar. This rule provides the definitions used in Rule 14-303.

USB14-0303. Professionalism and Civility Counseling. New. This is part of an effort to codify Standing Order No. 7, which established a program of professionalism counseling for members of the Utah State Bar. This rule provides for the composition of the Professionalism and Civility Counseling Board, the Board’s authority and responsibilities, and the procedures surrounding the submission and resolution of complaints.

USB14-0510. Prosecution and appeals. Amend. Updates references to Standing Order No. 7 to new Rule 14-303.

 

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Rules of Professional Conduct – Comment Period Closed January 27, 2019

Following the recent enactment of rules authorizing licensed paralegal practitioners, the Rules of Professional Conduct have been amended to address interactions between lawyers and licensed legal practitioners. “Legal professional” is now the umbrella term for lawyers and licensed paralegal practitioners.

RPC01.00. Terminology.

RPC01.07. Conflict of Interest: Current Clients.

RPC01.10. Imputation of Conflicts of Interest: General Rule.

RPC01.11. Special Conflicts of Interest for Former and Current Government Employees.

RPC01.12. Former Judge, Arbitrator, Mediator or Other Third-Party Neutral.

RPC01.18. Duties to Prospective Client.

RPC02.04. Lawyer Serving as Third-Party Neutral.

RPC03.03. Candor toward the Tribunal.

RPC03.05. Impartiality and Decorum of the Tribunal.

RPC04.02. Communication with Persons Represented by Counsel.

RPC05.01. Responsibilities of Partners, Managers, and Supervisory Lawyers.

RPC08.03. Reporting Professional Misconduct.

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Rules Governing the State Bar – Comment Period Closed January 26, 2019

The proposed changes add Licensed Paralegal Practitioners to the Lawyer’s Fund for Client Protection Rules.  Changes include renaming the Fund and the title of the article “Fund for Client Protection” rather than “Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection.” The proposed changes require Licensed Paralegal Practitioners to contribute to the Fund and allow clients who lose money as a result of the dishonest conduct of Licensed Lawyer Practitioners to make a claim to the Fund for reimbursement.

USB14-0901. Definitions.

USB14-0902. Purpose and scope; establishment of Fund.

USB14-0904. Funding.

USB14-0907. Duties and responsibilities of the committee.

USB14-0908. Conflict of interest.

USB14-0910. Eligible claim.

USB14-0911. Procedures and form; responsibilities of claimants to complete form.

USB14-0912. Processing claims.

USB14-0913. Payment of reimbursement.

USB14-0915. Restitution and subrogation.

USB14-0916. Confidentiality.

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Code of Judicial Administration – Comment Period Closed at noon on January 4, 2019

CJA01-0205. Standing and Ad Hoc Committees.  AMEND – adds Court Security Director as a member of the Court Facility Planning Committee.

CJA02-0208. Publication and Distribution.  AMEND – remove requirement that AOC and TCEs “maintain a copy of the CJA and make it available for inspection during business hours.”

CJA03-0103. Administrative Role of Judges.  AMEND – assigns responsibilities to justice court presiding judges, to conform with district court counterparts.

CJA03-0104. Presiding Judges.  AMEND – clarifies responsibilities of presiding judges to coordinate with presiding justice court judges regarding magistrate rotation.

CJA03-0106. Legislative Activities.  AMEND – clarify options available to judicial council in response to legislative activities.

CJA03-0107. Executive Branch Policy Initiatives.  AMEND – clarify options available to judicial council in response to executive initiatives.

CJA03-0111. Performance Evaluation of Senior Judges and Court Commissioners.  AMEND – assigns responsibilities to justice court presiding judges, to conform with district court counterparts.

CJA03-0413. Judicial library resources.  AMEND – revises rule to conform with current practice and removes outdated provisions that no longer conform to current practice.

CJA03-0501. Insurance Benefits Upon Retirement.  AMEND – adds “parental leave” to the “sick day” calculation for purposes of determining post-retirement insurance benefits.

CJA04-0202.09. Miscellaneous.  AMEND – removes the requirement for a party to label a filing as private, protected, controlled, juvenile social / juvenile legal, or safeguarded.

CJA04-0403. Electronic signature and signature stamp use.  AMEND – authorizes use of judge signature stamp on writs of habeas corpus ad prosequendum / testificandum for transport of federal prisoners.  Authorizes use of judge signature stamp on forthcoming / proposed Rule 109 (Domestic Relations Injunctions) orders.

CJA04-0405. Juror and Witness Fees and Expenses.  AMEND – makes various revisions to align rule with current business practices at court and state level.

CJA04-0508. Guidelines for Ruling on a Motion to Waive Fees.  AMEND – removes default requirement to provide documentation supporting affidavit of impecuniousity, authorizing judge to specifically request that such documentation be provided on a case by case basis.

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