Part 1 · Discipline of Members of the Bar

Rule 1:20-15A. Final Disciplinary Determinations; Sanctions

Amended July 30, 2002 (current) Contains Deadlines

(a) Categories of Discipline The imposition of final discipline may include any of the following sanctions, all of which shall be public:

(1) Disbarment An attorney who is disbarred shall have his or her name permanently stricken from the roll of attorneys.

(2) Indeterminate Suspension Unless the Court's Order provides otherwise, an indeterminate suspension shall prohibit the attorney from seeking reinstatement for a minimum of five years.

(3) Term of Suspension Absent special circumstances, a suspension for a term shall be for a period that is no less than three months and no more than three years.

(4) Censure

(5) Reprimand

(6) Admonition

(b) Conditions The Supreme Court's Order may provide for one or more of the following, either as a part of a sanction imposed pursuant to paragraph (a) or as a condition to reinstatement:

(1) Financial controls including, but not limited to, a designated co-signatory for all attorney trust and business account checks;

(2) Restrictions on the ability to practice including, but not limited to, the use of a supervising attorney approved by the Office of Attorney Ethics as a prerequisite to engaging in the private practice of law;

(3) Substance abuse control including, but not limited to, requiring abstinence, testing, and an identifiable commitment to appropriate support groups;

(4) Mental health treatment and counseling, together with a finding of fitness to practice by a mental health professional approved by the Office of Attorney Ethics;

(5) Taking and passing the New Jersey bar examination, as well as meeting all other qualifications for admission including, but not limited to, a certification of the attorney's good character by the Supreme Court after review by the Committee on Character; and

(6) Such other conditions as may be deemed appropriate in the light of the circumstances presented including, but not limited to, probation or a suspended suspension.