Rule 35.9 Disciplinary board action upon report and recommendation of investigator

When an investigator finishes looking into a complaint against a lawyer, they send their report back to the disciplinary board. The board then has to make a choice about what happens next.

The board can either dismiss the complaint entirely, in which case both the person who filed it and the lawyer who was investigated get notified that it's over. Or the board can decide the case needs more attention, in which case it gets scheduled for discussion at the board's next meeting.

This rule basically sets up a checkpoint. After someone investigates a complaint, the board can't just let the report sit there. They have to actively decide whether the complaint has enough merit to move forward or whether it should be closed out.