attorney discipline investigations; costs
Take action
Record your position on this measure.
Create an account to record your position, submit testimony, or contact your legislator.
Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
Senate Bill 1039 changes how costs are handled in attorney discipline investigations in Arizona. If an attorney successfully defends against a disciplinary charge, they can recover their attorney fees, lost earnings, and court costs from the State Bar of Arizona. The bill also allows attorneys to file claims for damage to their reputation if a disciplinary matter is not dismissed before reaching a final decision.
Key provisions
- Attorneys who prevail in discipline cases can recover attorney fees.
- Attorneys can recover lost earnings incurred during the investigation and disciplinary process.
- Court costs associated with the investigation and any litigation are recoverable.
- The State Bar of Arizona is responsible for covering these costs.
- Attorneys can file claims for reputational damage.
Who is affected
- Attorneys
- The State Bar of Arizona
- Individuals subject to attorney discipline investigations
Notable changes
- Previously, attorneys did not have a mechanism to recover costs in successful discipline cases.
- The bill clarifies the scope of ‘attorney discipline matter’ to include cases not dismissed by the State Bar.
Fiscal impact
The bill may result in increased costs for the State Bar of Arizona to cover attorney fees, lost earnings, and court costs in successful discipline cases.
Bill text
Read the latest version inline or switch to a previous version.
Text extraction is in progress. View the official source.
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
2 on record
Primary sponsor
Cosponsor
Arguments
Reasons offered for and against this legislation.
Arguments in favor
No arguments in favor have been submitted.
Submit yoursArguments opposed
No arguments opposed have been submitted.
Submit yours