Screening panel composition; responsibilities

(a) Screening panel composition . The Committee members, except for the Committee chair and vice chairs, will participate in screening panel hearings as assigned by the Committee chair. Each screening panel will be composed of four Lawyers and one public member. Whenever a screening panel is assigned a Complaint involving a licensed paralegal practitioner, the Committee chair may, as practical, assign up to two Committee members who are licensed paralegal practitioners to the screening panel. (b) Screening panel number . All screening panel hearings must have five panel members present, including a panel chair or vice chair and a public member. (c) Chair and vice chair . The Supreme Court will name four panel chairs and four panel vice chairs. The chair or, in the chair’s absence, vice chair presides over screening panel hearings. The panel chair may call upon the vice chair to assist in any of the panel chair’s duties. If a chair is removed or resigns, a vice chair will become a chair, and the Court will appoint a Committee member to serve as a vice chair. (d) Voting . A majority vote of those members present and voting at any screening panel hearing is required for a determination. (e) Meetings . The Committee chair may convene the Committee at such times as necessary to effectively and promptly carry out the Committee’s duties. (f) Responsibilities . (1) The screening panels review and hear all Complaints charging that a Lawyer engaged in unethical or unprofessional conduct, and may consider any other relevant information. Screening panels determine the action to be taken on any Complaint that, in applying these rules to the facts of the case, is most consistent with the public interest and the Rules of Professional Conduct or Licensed Paralegal Practitioner Rules of Professional Conduct. (2) Unless otherwise provided in this article, whenever the OPC may be present before a screening panel during a hearing, the Respondent may also be present.