The Ethics & Discipline Committee (Committee) consists of lawyers and members of the public appointed by the Utah Supreme Court, including a Committee chair and three to four vice chairs. The remaining Committee members serve on four screening panels, each of which has a chair and vice chair. The Committee’s members are listed on the Utah Courts’ website.

The Committee’s screening panels hear cases against lawyers and licensed paralegal practitioners (LPPs) for violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct. The Office of Professional Conduct (OPC) prosecutes the cases brought before the screening panels, including cases filed or initiated by third parties. Following a hearing before a screening panel, the panel may dismiss, recommend the imposition of a private admonition or public reprimand, or instruct the OPC to file an action against the respondent in district court.

The Committee chair and vice chairs review and rule on appeals from the OPC’s dismissals of complaints filed by third parties, exceptions to screening panel rulings and recommendations, and various other motions and requests submitted by parties throughout the proceedings.

Committee Chair
Beth Kennedy
chair@utahethicscomm.org

Committee Vice Chairs
Katherine E. Venti
Amy H. Kennedy
Bryan J. Pattison
Corbin B. Gordon

Committee Clerk
Connor Hess
clerk@utahethicscomm.org

*For general inquiries regarding the Committee, please contact us at ethics@utahethicscomm.org

**For information regarding the submission of an ethics complaint against a lawyer or licensed paralegal practitioner, please see www.opcutah.org

***For inquires regarding the disciplinary process generally, please contact the Disciplinary Process Information Office at cjames@utahbar.org.  The Office can provide information about disciplinary proceedings but not about specific cases and may not provide legal advice.

****Information regarding the Utah State Bar’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP), which provides relatively swift and non-invasive information and services for consumers who have minor conflicts with lawyers or LPPs, may be found at https://www.utahbar.org/member-services/consumer-assistance-program/.  If you have any inquires about CAP please email  cjames@utahbar.org