Public Access to Disciplinary Proceedings

(a) Discipline and Reinstatement Proceedings. After the filing of a petition for formal hearing, hearings held before either a Hearing Committee or the Board will be open to the public. This Rule will not be interpreted to allow public access to disability proceedings described in Rule 30. (b) Deliberations. The deliberations of any adjudicative body will be kept confidential. (c) Bar Counsel’s Files. All files maintained by Bar Counsel and staff will be confidential and are not to be reviewed by any person other than Bar Counsel or Area Division members appointed for purposes of review or appeal under these Rules. This provision will not be interpreted to: (1) preclude Bar Counsel from introducing into evidence any documents from his or her files; (2) preclude Bar Counsel from providing the Board, the Court, or the public with statistical information compiled pursuant to Rule 11(e), provided that the name of the Respondent is kept confidential; (3) deny a complainant information regarding the status or disposition of his or her grievance; (4) deny the public facts regarding the stage of any investigation concerning a Respondent’s proceeding or conviction of a crime, except as provided under Rule 26(i); (5) deny the Alaska Judicial Council confidential information about attorney applicants for judicial vacancies; (6) preclude a court from reviewing in camera a confidential file upon a discovery request made pursuant to Criminal Rule 16(b)(7), and from exercising discretion as to whether to release relevant information from the file to counsel pursuant to Criminal Rule 16(d)(3); or (7) prevent the Board Discipline Liaison from having access to any and all files maintained by Bar Counsel as necessary in the performance of the Liaison’s duties. (d) Director’s File. The file maintained by the Director, acting in his or her capacity as clerk, will be open for public review. 24 (Added by SCO 176 dated February 26, 1974; amended by SCO 345 § 13 effective April 1, 1979; rescinded and repromulgated by SCO 614 effective January 1, 1985; amended by SCO 962 effective July 15, 1989; by SCO 963 effective July 15, 1989; by SCO 1043 effective January 15, 1991; by SCO 1082 effective January 15, 1992; and by SCO 1811 effective April 15, 2014)