|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The National Council of Lawyer Disciplinary Boards, Inc. is a
Texas nonprofit corporation whose principal purpose is to serve
as a national forum for the exchange of information and ideas
about the administration, conduct and improvement of formal
disciplinary and related proceedings for lawyers admitted to
practice law in or more jurisdictions of the United States. The purposes for which NCLDB, Inc. is organized are to provide for: (a) The exchange, among the member lawyers and staff lawyers of the lawyer disciplinary board of each jurisdiction within the United States, of information and views on the common duties, responsibilities, problems and procedures of the disciplinary boards; (b) The exchange of rules, both substantive and procedural, for the resolution of lawyer disciplinary proceedings; (c) Joint, coordinated action to address lawyer discipline problems occurring throughout the country; (d) The exchange of information about findings of disciplinary liability and sanctions imposed on particular lawyers who practice within more than one jurisdiction; (e) The exchange of any other information of interest to all member lawyers and staff lawyers of the lawyer disciplinary boards; (f) Participation in and promotion of institutes and seminars to increase the knowledge, efficiency and consistency of action of member lawyers and staff lawyers of the disciplinary boards; and (g) Any purpose consistent with the above purposes which is proper for an exclusively charitable and educational organization. As a result of the vision and perseverance of Gaines West, past chairman of the Board of Disciplinary Appeals appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas, a series of exploratory meetings were held in Texas, Illinois, and California in 2003 to determine whether a national organization should be established to help volunteers and staff of participating jurisdictions to improve the processes and procedures they use to conduct formal disciplinary proceedings involving lawyers. There was significant interest in the establishment of such an organization and NCLDB, Inc. was created. The first official meeting was in San Antonio, Texas in February 2004. Since then, the organization has met in Houston, Texas, Vancouver, Canada and Miami, Florida. NCLDB, Inc. has as its primary purpose the sharing of information and knowledge about lawyer disciplinary proceedings between the volunteers and staff of participating member organizations. It holds an annual seminar and business meeting, has an email list, and this website. The NCLDB, Inc. board meets by telephone conference call on a periodic basis to plan and manage its various activities, all with the overarching goal of improving the fairness and efficiency of lawyer disciplinary proceedings. 
|
|