ELC Drafting Task Force
The Rules for Enforcement of Lawyer Conduct (ELC) govern the procedure by which a lawyer may be subjected to disciplinary sanctions or actions for violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC). The ELC were adopted by the Washington Supreme Court in 2002. After more than five years of experience with the ELC, the BOG felt it appropriate to analyze the impact and effectiveness of the rules in light of the purposes of lawyer discipline, and determine whether any modifications and improvements were warranted. The ELC Drafting Task Force has been the vehicle appointed by the BOG to undertake this review.
Formed in 2008, the ELC Drafting Task Force has gathered input from a variety of sources and undertaken a thorough review of the ELC. The Task Force sought input from various stakeholders in the lawyer discipline system, including members of the public. The Task Force's review has also been informed by the recommendations of the BOG Discipline Committee, which addressed the recommendations of the August 2006 Report on Washington State's Lawyer Regulation System sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Professional Discipline (ABA Report). Three subcommittees of the ELC Drafting Task Force have worked on different sections of the ELC. The Task Force submitted a preliminary set of draft changes to the BOG for a first reading in March 2011; final action is expected at the July 2011 BOG meeting.
Reports:
View the Chair's July 2011 Memo to the BOG. View the final matrix of progress of proposed changes.
View the redline of proposed amendments (updated September 23, 2011). View accompanying proposed changes to RPC 5.8. Three minority reports have also been filed: View Fine letter, ODC Minority Report, & Reissler Letter.
Meetings:
The Task Force has completed its schedule of meetings. The Chair will present the Task Force's proposed changes to the ELC at the July 2011 BOG meeting, along with minority reports.
See a complete set of Meeting Materials and final reports.
Meeting Minutes
See Minutes from the November 1, 2011 meeting.
Approved Minutes from previous meetings are also available.
Contact Us
Chair
Geoff Gibbs
Anderson Hunter Law Firm PS
2707 Colby Ave., Ste. 1001
PO Box 5397
Everett, WA 98206-5397
WSBA Staff Liaison/Reporter
Scott Busby
1325 4th Ave., Ste. 600
Seattle, WA 98101-2539
206-733-5998
scottb@wsba.org
See the Task Force Roster for a list of members and their contact information. For a list of the sections of the ELC that the members have reviewed, see the Subcommittee Rosters.