WI · rules
SCR 21.03
Office of lawyer regulation - director
(1) The director of the office of lawyer regulation is appointed
by and serves at the pleasure of the supreme court.
(2) The director shall be admitted to the practice of law in
Wisconsin no later than six months following appointment.
(3) The director is an employee of the supreme court under the
supreme court's ultimate personnel authority and subject to personnel
policies and procedures administered by the director of state courts.
(4) The performance of the director shall be formally evaluated
every two years by the director of state courts, who shall consult with
the staff of the office of lawyer regulation, the preliminary review
committee, the board of administrative oversight, and attorneys who
represent respondents in proceedings brought by the director. The
director of state courts shall report the evaluation to the supreme court
as a personnel matter.
(5) The director may not engage in the private practice of law.
(6) The duties of the director are:
(a) To investigate any possible misconduct or medical
incapacity of an attorney licensed to practice law or practicing law in
Wisconsin.
(b) To receive, review and direct the investigation of
allegations of attorney misconduct or medical incapacity.
(c) To close an inquiry or grievance following preliminary
evaluation and to dismiss a grievance following investigation when
there is insufficient evidence of cause to proceed.
(d) To present as the director may consider appropriate the
results of an investigation to the preliminary review committee for a
determination of cause to proceed in the matter.
(e) To file with the supreme court and prosecute complaints
alleging attorney misconduct and petitions alleging attorney medical
incapacity after a preliminary review panel has determined there is
cause to proceed in the matter.
(f) To divert a matter to an alternatives to discipline program as
the director may consider appropriate and to monitor the attorney's
participation in the program.
(g) To monitor an attorney's compliance with conditions
imposed on the attorney's practice of law.
(h) To investigate petitions for license reinstatement and, at the
request of the board of bar examiners, to investigate the character and
fitness of an applicant for bar admission.
(j) To employ, with the approval of the director of state courts,
staff to assist in the performance of the director's duties.
(k) Repealed.
(m) To prepare annually a budget for the operation of the office
of lawyer regulation and to submit it to the board of administrative
oversight for review and presentation, with comment, to the supreme
court.
(n) To prepare annually a report of the activities of the office of
lawyer regulation during the preceding year and to submit it to the
board of administrative oversight for review and presentation, with
comment, to the supreme court.
(o) To delegate the duties specified in this rule to staff as the
director may consider advisable.
(p) To perform other duties as may be assigned by the supreme
court.
(7) Repealed.
(8) The director may refer a matter involving a fee dispute to a
state or local bar association's fee arbitration committee for resolution.
(9) The director, with notice to the lawyer concerned, may
refer a lawyer to a state bar lawyer assistance program for any of the
following reasons:
(a) The lawyer has agreed to enter an alternative to discipline
program and the director determines that a state bar lawyer assistance
program would be the appropriate entity to monitor conditions.
(b) The lawyer is subject to conditions on the continued
practice of law or conditions on seeking license reinstatement and the
director determines a state bar lawyer assistance program would be
the appropriate entity to monitor conditions.
(c) The lawyer has pleaded impairment or medical incapacity
in response to an investigation or a complaint.
(d) The lawyer has exhibited or engaged in other behavior that
provides a reasonable belief that the lawyer may be impaired or
incapacitated.
Provenance
- Source
- www.wicourts.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-23
- Edition
- 2026-09-23
- Content hash
d26b13b88a4ad6d4a1e2caa0fa6fd5007d73d45066b9321b69588118d034da34
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