NCSB Journal Summer 2026

to our system of justice for all those who, because of economic or social barriers, cannot a ff ord or secure adequate legal counsel.” 27 N.C. Admin. Code 2.0.1, Preamble. (b)… Proposed Amendments to the Rules Governing Procedures for the Administrative Committee 27 NCAC 1D, Section .0900, Section .1500 Th e proposed amendments refine mem bership administration by clarifying when administrative suspensions occur for non compliance, eliminating the show-cause step to align with CLE enforcement, revising the e ff ective date of suspensions, and permit ting service of suspension orders and notices by publication in the State Bar Journal . Th ey also extend the timeframe for attorneys to satisfy membership obligations before a sus pension takes e ff ect and remove references to repealed rules. In addition, the changes clar ify exemption eligibility for full-time employees of the North Carolina General Assembly, nonresident attorneys, and senior lawyers, and require Professionalism for New Admittees (PNA) programs to establish their content annually and publish any updates by March 1 each year. Rule .0903, Suspension for Failure to Fulfill Obligations of Membership (a) Procedure for Enforcement of Obligations of Membership. Whenever a member of the North Carolina State Bar fails to fulfill an obligation of membership in the State Bar, whether established by the admin istrative rules of the State Bar or by statute, the member shall be subject to administrative sus pension from membership pursuant to the procedure set forth in this rule; provided, however, that the procedures for the investiga tion of and action upon alleged violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct by a mem ber are set forth in subchapter 01B of these rules and that no aspect of any procedure set forth in this rule shall be applicable to the State Bar’s investigation of or action upon alleged violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct by a member. (1) Th e following are examples of obliga tions of membership that will be enforced by administrative suspension. Th is list is illustrative and not exclusive: (A) Payment of the annual membership fee, including any associated late fee as set

vote upon the disposition of each grievance on the quarterly meeting agenda that is assigned to it. During the quarterly meeting of the full Grievance Committee, the com mittee shall vote to adopt the disposition of the subcommittee or to reach a di ff erent disposition. Th e decision of the full Grievance Committee is a final decision and is not subject to appeal. Th e president shall appoint the chair of the Grievance Committee, the members of the Grievance Committee, the vice-chair of each subcom mittee, and the members of each subcom mittee. Th e president may appoint as advi sory members lawyers and nonlawyers who are not councilors of the North Carolina State Bar. Th e chair of the Grievance Committee shall have the powers enumer ated in Section .0105 of Subchapter 1B of these rules and any other powers delegated to the chair by the president. Th e chair of the Grievance Committee shall appoint one Grievance Committee member who is a councilor of the State Bar to oversee the Attorney Client Assistance Program and the Fee Dispute Resolution Program. ‘s decision respecting the grievances, fee dis putes, and other matters assigned to it will be deemed final action of the Grievance Committee, unless the full committee at its next meeting, by a majority vote of those present, elects to review a subcommittee decision and upon further consideration decides to reverse or modify that decision. Th ere will be no other right of appeal to the committee as a whole or to another subcom mittee. Th e president shall designate a vice chairperson to preside over, and oversee the functions of each subcommittee. Th e vice chairpersons shall have such other powers as may be delegated to them by the chairperson of the Grievance Committee. Th e Grievance Committee shall perform such other duties and consider such other matters as the coun cil or the president may designate. ... (9) Access to Justic Issues Committee. It shall be the duty of the Access to Justice Issues Committee to identify and explore issues concerning the regulation of the legal profes sion and the improvement of the quality of legal services available to the people of North Carolina, including to study and to recom mend to the council programs and initiatives that respond to the profession’s responsibility, set forth in the Preamble to the Rules of Professional Conduct, “to ensure equal access

forth in G.S. 84-34 and G.S. 84-18.1 ; (B) Payment of the annual Client Security Fund assessment; (C) Payment of the costs of a discipli nary, disability, reinstatement, show cause, or other proceeding of the State Bar as ordered by the chair of the Grievance Committee, the Disciplinary Hearing Commission, the secretary, or the council; (D) Filing of a pro hac vice registration statement as required in Rule .0101 of subchapter 01H of these rules; and (E) Filing of an annual report form and attending Completion of continuing legal education activities as required by Sections .1500 and .1600 of subchapter 01D of these rules. (b)Notice Failure to Comply .Whenever it appears that When a member has failed to comply, in a timely fashion, with an obliga tion of membership in the State Bar as estab lished by the administrative rules of the State Bar or by statute, the secretary shall prepare a written notice directing the member to show cause, in writing, within 30 days of the date of service of the notice why he or she should not be suspended from the practice of law. appli The Process Proposed amendments to the Rules of the North Carolina State Bar are pub lished for comment in the Journal. They are considered for adoption by the coun cil at the succeeding quarterly meeting. If adopted, they are submitted to the North Carolina Supreme Court for approval. Unless otherwise noted, pro posed additions to rules are printed in bold and underlined; deletions are inter lined. Comments The State Bar welcomes your com ments regarding proposed amendments to the rules. Please send your written comments by July 10 to Peter Bolac, The North Carolina State Bar, PO Box 25908, Raleigh, NC 27611, or email comments@ncbar.gov.

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THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE BAR JOURNAL