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APPOINTMENTS

At its meeting on April 24, 2026, the council made the following appointments:

Disciplinary Hearing Commission (DHC) – The council appointed Geoff Hulse and Deonte’ Thomas to three-year terms and appointed Norlan Graves to complete Mr. William A. Oden III’s unexpired term through June 2027.

Inmate Grievance Resolution Board – Pursuant to statute, the council approved sending a list of five names to the governor for his appointment that includes David Addison, Amy Broughton, and Kirstin Greene.

UPCOMING APPOINTMENTS: SUBMIT YOUR INTEREST FORM

Anyone interested in being appointed to serve on any of the State Bar’s boards or commissions should complete the “Boards and Commissions Interest Form”. The deadline for completion of the interest form is July 6, 2026. Your information will be included in the agenda materials for the quarterly meeting of the council in July 2026.

The council will make the following appointments at its July quarterly business meeting:

Board of Legal Specialization (three appointments; three-year terms)—There are three appointments to be made by the State Bar Council. Mary S. Pollard and Misty Dideo are eligible for reappointment, and Matthew J. Ladenheim is not eligible for reappointment. 

The Board of Legal Specialization, established by the North Carolina State Bar in 1983, certifies lawyers in 15 areas of law to enhance legal services and improve lawyer competency. The program identifies lawyers with special knowledge and proficiency, aiding the public in finding suitable legal services, and encourages continuing legal education among lawyers. 

NC Dispute Resolution Commission (one appointment; three-year terms)—There is one appointment to be made by the State Bar Council President. Paul J. Ekster is eligible for reappointment. 

The North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission is charged with certifying and regulating private mediators who serve the courts of this State. The commission also recommends policy, rules, and rule revisions relating to dispute resolution in North Carolina’s courts; provides support to court-based mediation programs; certifies mediation training programs; serves as a clearinghouse for information about court-based mediation programs; and assists other state agencies interested in or providing dispute resolution services to their constituencies.  

NC General Statutes Commission (one appointment; two-year terms)—There is one appointment to be made by the State Bar Council President. Joseph J. Kalo IV is eligible for reappointment.

The General Statutes Commission consists of 13 members appointed by various persons and entities. See N.C. Gen. Stat. 164-14. One appointment is made by the president of the State Bar. The duties of the commission are set forth in NC Gen. Stat. 164-13 and include advising and cooperating with the Legislative Services Office in the work of continuous statute research and correction for which the Legislative Services Office is made responsible by G.S. 120-36.21(2).

RANDOM AUDITS

Lawyers selected for random audit are drawn from a randomized list of all active lawyers in the state. Based on the geographic plan for 2026, audits for the second quarter will be conducted in Brunswick, Cabarrus, Cumberland, Forsyth, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Robeson, Rowan, and Wake Counties. Lawyers will be contacted by Trust Account Compliance Department staff over the next several weeks to schedule their audit. The second quarter audit period ends July 11, 2026.

ETHICS COMMITTEE ACTION

Council Actions

The council did not adopt any formal ethics opinions this quarter.

Ethics Committee Actions

At its meeting on April 23, 2026, the Ethics Committee considered a total of eight inquiries. Six inquiries were sent or returned to subcommittee for further study, including Proposed 2025 FEO 3, Client Consent to Annual Rate Increase; Proposed 2026 FEO 1, Closing Attorney’s Referral to Law Partner’s Title Insurance Agency; and Proposed 2026 FEO 2, Release of Claims and Non-Disparagement Clause in Fee Agreement or as a Condition of Fee Dispute Resolution, all of which were published during the prior quarter for comment. The committee also created a subcommittee to study the recent amendments to Model Rule 1.14, Client with Decision-Making Limitations.

Ethics Opinion Published for Comment

Proposed 2026 FEO 3, Providing Client with Editable Electronic Copies of Documents

The proposed opinion rules that a lawyer may provide an editable, electronic copy of a document to a client under certain conditions, but that a lawyer is not required to provide an editable, electronic copy of a document to a client.

The Ethics Committee welcomes comments on the proposed formal ethics opinion. Comments may be submitted by email to comments@ncbar.gov. 

GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE ACTION

The Grievance Committee considered 342 files this quarter, 278 of which were dismissed (81%).

In the 64 files considered at the April 23, 2026 meeting, the Committee authorized the following dispositions:

  • Referral of 11 files (involving 5 lawyers) to the DHC

  • Dismissal of 5 files with Letters of Caution

  • Dismissal of 20 files with Letters of Warning

  • Censure in 4 files

  • Reprimand in 1 file

  • Admonitions in 11 files

  • Deferrals to TACP in 3 files

  • Deferral to LAP in 1 file

  • Continuations in 3 files

  • Dismissal in 5 files

AUTHORIZED PRACTICE COMMITTEE

The Authorized Practice Committee took the following actions:

  • Authorize the Office of Counsel to seek an injunction in 3 matters

  • Letters of Caution issued in 4 files

  • Dismissal of 7 complaints

  • No action on 1 complaint

  • 1 amendment to a prepaid legal service plan

  • 7 prepaid legal service plan registrations

RULE AMENDMENTS

Amendments Adopted - Pending Supreme Court Approval

At its meeting on April 24, 2026, the council voted to adopt the following rule amendment for transmission to the North Carolina Supreme Court for its approval. (For the complete text of the rule amendment, see the Spring 2026 edition of the Journal or visit the State Bar website: ncbar.gov.)

Amendments to the Rules Governing Discipline and Disability

  • 27 NCAC 01B, Rule .0120, Reciprocal Discipline and Disability Proceedings

Proposed Rule Amendments for Publication

At its meeting on April 24, 2026 the council voted to publish for comment the following proposed rule amendments:

Proposed Amendments to the Procedures for the Administrative Committee and Rules Governing the Administration of the Continuing Legal Education Program

  • 27 NCAC 01D, Rule .0903, Suspension for Failure to Fulfill Obligations of Membership

  • 27 NCAC 01D, Rule .0904, Reinstatement from Suspension

  • 27 NCAC 01D, Rule .1517, Exemptions

  • 27 NCAC 01D, Rule .1521, Noncompliance

  • 27 NCAC 01D, Rule .1525, Professionalism Requirement for New Members (PNA)

The proposed amendments refine disciplinary and membership administration by clarifying when administrative suspensions occur for noncompliance, eliminating the show-cause step to align with CLE enforcement, revising the effective date of suspensions, and permitting service of suspension orders and notices by publication in the State Bar Journal. They also extend the timeframe for attorneys to satisfy membership obligations before a suspension takes effect and remove references to repealed rules. In addition, the changes clarify exemption eligibility for full-time employees of the North Carolina General Assembly, nonresident attorneys, and senior lawyers, and require Practical Skills (PNA) programs to establish their content annually and publish any updates by March 1 each year.

Proposed Amendments to the Regulations for Organizations Practicing Law

  • 27 NCAC 01E, Rule .0102, Name of Professional Corporation or Professional Limited Liability Company

  • 27 NCAC 01E, Rule .0103, Registration with the North Carolina State Bar

  • 27 NCAC 01E, Rule .0104, Management and Financial Matters

  • 27 NCAC 01E, Rule .0106, Reserved

  • 27 NCAC 01E, Rule .0201, Registration Requirement

The proposed amendments update registration and compliance rules for professional law firms by requiring trade names to be recorded locally, removing disqualified shareholders from firm names, and mandating online filings instead of mailed submissions. They also clarify reinstatement and interstate status requirements, require certain out-of-state firms with a virtual presence in North Carolina to register, and confirm exemptions for nonprofit firms and in-state–only lawyer groups.

Proposed Amendments to the Rules Governing Admission to the Practice of Law in the State of North Carolina

  • 27 NCAC 03, Rule .0503, Requirements for Relocated Servicemember and Spouse of Relocated Servicemember Applicants

  • 27 NCAC 01A, Rule .0701, Standing Committees and Boards

The proposed rule amendment brings Rule .0503 into compliance with the USDOJ’s guidance on the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. §4025a).

Proposed Amendments to the Rules Governing Standing Committees and Boards

The proposed amendments 1) combine the existing Issues and Access to Justice Committees — along with their respective, similar missions — into a single, standing committee of the State Bar Council (this portion was published following the January meeting), 2) clarify Grievance Committee composition and quorum requirements, and 3) reflect that the full Grievance Committee decides the authorized disposition of grievance files.

The council welcomes your comments on these proposed rule amendments. Comments may be submitted by email to comments@ncbar.gov or by mail to Peter Bolac, The North Carolina State Bar, PO Box 25908, Raleigh, NC 27611.