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WI · rules

SCR 21.03

Office of lawyer regulation - director

activein force · 2025-10-30 – presentact-effective-date

(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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SCR 21.03 — Office of lawyer regulation - director · binding.law