Arizona Character and Fitness Lawyer

The Character and Fitness application for licensure with the State Bar of Arizona ensures that applicants for the Bar not only meet Arizona’s requirement for the practice of law, but also show the ability to perform professional work in an open and honest manner and are not a danger to the public. The State Bar requires the disclosure of personal and professional history from Arizona attorneys looking for admissions, including:

Criminal history
Bankruptcies
Civil Actions
Debts
Past employment
Other professional licenses
Traffic Cases

Character and Fitness Committee

Any past incidents involving the issues listed above could trigger an investigation by the Arizona Supreme Court Committee of Character and Fitness (“Committee“). An investigation could result in:

A request for further information
Informal Inquiry
Informal Hearing

The Committee may, after further questions, investigation or hearing, recommend:

Recommendation for Admission
Denial of Admission
Denial of Admission with suggestions for future re-application
Conditional Admission (conditioned on compliance with terms)

The 2020 Annual Report of the Attorney Regulation Advisory Committee to the Arizona Supreme Court listed there were (after Informal Inquiries in 2020):

Regular Admission 38
Conditional Admission 5
Referred for Formal Hearing 6
Withdrew Application 2

Arizona Bar Application Guidelines on Substance Abuse

The Committee Guidelines provides guidance for applicants to the Arizona Bar with past substance abuse issues. Specifically, Rule 36(g) provides:

“An applicant who has engaged in conduct that could have
previously rendered him or her unfit to practice law may be conditionally admitted
if the applicant shows meaningful and sustained rehabilitation and otherwise
satisfies the eligibility requirements for admission…”

If the Applicant’s substance abuse conduct occurred within the 24 months prior to submission of the application the Committee will order a substance abuse evaluation for the applicant. The Committee will require an informal hearing with the applicant if:

If the applicant has less than 24 months of sobriety;
If there is evidence of alcohol or drug-influenced criminal behavior (regardless of conviction) within the past 7 years, regardless of what the independent evaluator says about current dependence or lack thereof;
If there is disagreement between the independent evaluator and applicant’s evaluator on issue of sustained remission or dependence; or
If the applicant has a pattern of abstinence and relapse.

Most importantly, the Committee has stated criteria for applicants with substance abuse issues that are not eligible for admission. Those include:

Cannot prove sobriety for a period of 6 months prior to application; or
Has a pattern of abstinence and relapse, and applicant cannot demonstrate full sustained remission for a period of 24 consecutive months; or
Applicant fails to demonstrate that substance abuse will not affect his ability to practice law.

Chelle Law can assist applicants with the AZ Bar that have struggled with substance abuse formulate a plan which provides them with the best chance to get their application approved.

Types of State Discipline

The 2020 Annual Report of the Attorney Regulation Advisory Committee to the Arizona Supreme Court listed there were the following actions against attorneys licensed in Arizona in 2020:

Disbarred 8
Suspended 36
Reprimanded 24
Diversion Agreements 122
Dismissals with Comment 191

As a lawyer, receiving a charge or inquiry letter from the State Bar of Arizona can be a scary thing. After receipt of the inquiry letter, the lawyer must respond to the Bar within the time frame listed within the letter. In 2020 the Bar received 2285 charges with 403 of those referred to investigation. Our Arizona Lawyer Discipline Counsel can assist with all Arizona Bar issues.

Attorney Discipline after Intake Review

However, most of the time an inquiry initiated after the Bar receives a “complaint” against a lawyer will begin with a call from an Intake Attorney with the Bar’s Lawyer Regulation Department. This Department resolves disputes and investigates allegations of misconduct, incapacity or lack of professionalism. After the intake call the Bar can:

Dismiss the charge
Offer Diversion
Prepare a Written Charge and refer the matter to the Litigation Department

Legal Ethics Practice

If you’re interested in learning more about our Arizona Bar Complaint Attorney services and how to protect your license, set up a consultation with Chelle Law and reach out to us today.