Rule 7 - Local grievance committees(a)Approval of a local grievance committee. A grievance committee of a circuit, county, or city bar association (hereinafter referred to as a "local grievance committee") must be approved by the board of commissioners of the Alabama state bar before investigating complaints or recommending discipline. Such approval will be for a period of no more than five (5) years and may be withdrawn by the board of commissioners at any time for good cause. At the end of the approval period, the board of commissioners may reapprove a local grievance committee upon application of that committee and upon examination of the record of that committee for prompt, complete, and fair investigation of complaints. (b)Failure to investigate. The failure of a local grievance committee to investigate a complaint or to recommend action against a lawyer shall in no event constitute a bar to the investigation of the complaint, to the recommendation of punishment, or to the prosecution of charges by the general counsel of the Alabama state bar against the lawyer for, or arising out of, the same facts. A local grievance committee shall make available any file of a complaint or investigation to the general counsel within fourteen (14) days of receipt of a written request for such information by the general counsel. (c)Reapproval of existing local grievance committees. Six (6) months after the effective date of these rules, the board of commissioners of the Alabama state bar shall reconsider each existing local grievance committee as provided in (a) of this rule. (d)Terms of members of local grievance committees. Members appointed to serve on a local grievance committee shall be appointed for the following terms: one-third of the initial members shall be appointed for one year; one-third of the initial members shall be appointed for two years; and one-third of the initial members shall be appointed for three years. Subsequent appointments shall be for terms of three (3) years. No member who has served three full three-year terms shall be eligible for reappointment to the committee until two (2) years after the end of that member's most recent term. Any member appointed to serve on a local grievance committee, shall, before serving on the committee, attend a training session conducted by the Office of General Counsel of the Alabama State Bar. Amended 6-30-99, eff. 9/1/1999. Court Comment to Amendment Effective September 1, 1999
The amendment to Rule 7 effective September 1, 1999, added subsection (d), providing for terms of members of local grievance committees.
Note from the reporter of decisions: The order amending Rule 7, effective September 1, 1999, is published in that volume of Alabama Reporter that contains Alabama cases from 736 So.2d.
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