Rule 19 Institution of Formal Disciplinary Proceeding.

A formal disciplinary case against a lawyer gets started in one of three situations. First, if a Reviewing Board Member looks at a complaint and decides it should move forward as a formal case, then Counsel (the attorney handling the disciplinary process) must file it. Second, if a lawyer who has been given a Private Informal Admonition (a private warning) does not accept it and instead asks for a Formal Hearing, that request triggers a formal case. Third, if a lawyer has been convicted of a crime, the rules under RSCH 2.13 require a formal case to be opened.

In simple terms, this rule explains the three doors that lead to a formal disciplinary proceeding against a lawyer. It can happen because reviewers decide the complaint is serious enough, because the lawyer pushes back on a private warning and wants a real hearing, or because a criminal conviction automatically calls for formal action. This gives structure to how and when the more serious, formal disciplinary process begins.