Progress Is Our Most Important Product

On display today are three orders (linked here, here and here) of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in reciprocal discipline matters where the court concluded the proceedings in a bit more than two months. Prior to recent amendments in the court’s rules, Bar Counsel would have to file a statement to the Board on Professional Responsibility and the board would then file a report to the court for final action. It could take years even in uncontested matters and (as we have previously blogged) a source of potential board mischief. Now, if the attorney fails to show cause, identical discipline is promptly imposed.

To give a flavor of the prior regime, linked here is a board report from prior to the rule change. The board has to write a ten-page explanation why virtually identical discipline in an uncontested reciprocal disbarment from New Jersey. (Mike Frisch)