The certificate of admission to the bar of this state of an attorney and counselor at law may be revoked or suspended by the supreme court if that attorney has:

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 27-14-02

  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute means the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Person: means an individual, organization, government, political subdivision, or government agency or instrumentality. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49

1.    Committed an offense determined by the supreme court to have a direct bearing upon a person‘s ability to serve the public as an attorney and counselor at law, or the supreme court determines, following conviction of an offense, that the person is not sufficiently rehabilitated under section 12.1-33-02.1; 2.    Willfully disobeyed or violated an order of the court requiring the attorney to do or to refrain from doing an act connected with or in the course of the attorney’s professional practice; 3.    Willfully violated any of the duties of an attorney or counselor at law; 4.    Engaged, while attorney general or assistant attorney general of this state, or while employed in the office of the attorney general, in the private practice of the law, or rendered to any person, for pay, profit, and remuneration, any legal services other than those required in performing the duties imposed upon the attorney by virtue of the duties of the attorney’s office, but an assistant attorney general may finish any case, proceeding, or legal business in which the assistant attorney general was engaged at the time of the person’s appointment, and an attorney general or assistant attorney general with the permission of the attorney general may voluntarily represent indigent clients referred by an organized pro bono program in addition to the regular duties of the attorney’s office; such pro bono representation must be at no cost to the state of North Dakota; 5.    Appeared, while state’s attorney or assistant state’s attorney of any county of this state or while an employee in the office of the state’s attorney, as an attorney for the defense in any criminal action which it was the attorney’s duty to prosecute; 6.    Been convicted of any offense mentioned in section 27-13-08, 27-13-09, 27-13-11, or 27-13-12; or

7.    Committed any other act which tends to bring reproach upon the legal profession. The enumeration of certain grounds for disbarment or suspension of attorneys at law may not be deemed a limitation upon the general powers of the supreme court to suspend or disbar for professional misconduct.