Rule 27 Preservation of Evidence

Here's a plain-English summary of this rule.

This rule lets the Bar's legal team collect and protect evidence in an attorney discipline case whenever they think it's needed. They don't have to wait for anything else to happen first, like a guilty plea, a no-contest plea, a conviction, or an official punishment being handed down in any state.

In simple terms, this means the Bar can act quickly to gather proof before it gets lost, destroyed, or harder to find. They have the power to start this process on their own, independent of where the rest of the case stands. This helps make sure important evidence is available later, even if the disciplinary case takes a long time to resolve.