The Supreme Court of Ohio - Supreme Court - State of Ohio

The office conducted its annual fall bar counsel seminar in
October 2008, welcoming 34 attendees, primarily representing
the certified grievance committees of local bar associations
across Ohio.
In 2008, Jonathan E. Coughlan continued to serve as vicepresident
to the board of directors of the Association of Judicial
Disciplinary Counsel. He also served on the Supreme Court
Task Force on the Code of Judicial Conduct.
Further, Amy C. Stone served as chair of the Unauthorized
Practice of Law Central Registry Work Group, sponsored by
the Supreme Court Board on the Unauthorized Practice of
Law. Robert R. Berger served as a member of the Ohio State
Bar Association Special Committee to Review Ohio Rules of
Professional Conduct Rule 1.15(d)(e).
Board of Commissioners
on Grievances & Discipline
The Board of Commissioners on Grievances & Discipline is
established by Gov. Bar R. V and is charged with administering,
interpreting and enforcing the rule allowing lawyer and judge
discipline for ethical misconduct.
The board also serves, according to state law, as the ethics
commission for the filing of more than 1,800 financial
disclosure statements required of Ohio judges, judicial
candidates and magistrates. The board, pursuant to Gov. Bar
R.V(2)(C) is given authority to issue informal, nonbinding
ethical advisory opinions.
In 2008, the board added four new members appointed by
the Supreme Court of Ohio. The board met on eight days on a
bimonthly basis and received 97 formal complaints, including
petitions for reinstatement, filed by the Office of Disciplinary
Counsel and the certified grievance committees of local bar
associations.
The board held 83 hearings, certified 91 matters to the
Supreme Court and disposed of 108 cases. In addition, the
board received seven judicial campaign grievances and heard
one election-related judicial campaign complaint filed under
Gov. Jud. R. II(5). Seven Ohio lawyers resigned from the
practice of law with discipline pending as a result of disciplinary
investigations and the filing of formal complaints. There were
104 matters pending on the board’s docket at the end of the
year. The 91 disciplinary cases certified to the Supreme Court
was the highest number in the board’s history.
92
2008 Annual Report • The Supreme Court of Ohio