Rule 8.14 Immunity And Privilege

When someone reports information about a person applying to become a lawyer, that person is protected from being sued over what they said. This applies whether the information goes to a board member, a lawyer or staff working for the board, an employee of the court clerk's office, or an investigator working on the board's behalf.

This protection matters because it encourages people to speak honestly about bar applicants without fear of legal trouble. If someone shares what they know about an applicant's background or character, they cannot be held legally responsible for that communication, even if the information turns out to be damaging to the applicant. The only exception is if this rule itself did not exist, meaning the immunity only applies because this specific rule creates it.

In short, this rule protects people who give honest information about bar applicants from getting sued for sharing that information with the right people.