Rule I Definitions

For the purposes of these Rules of Procedure, the following definitions shall apply: A. The ‘‘Committee’’ shall mean the Clients’ Security Fund Committee. B. ‘‘Dishonest conduct’’ means any of the following: 1. Wrongful acts committed by a lawyer in the nature of theft or embezzlement of money or the wrongful taking or conversion of money, property or other things of value. 2. Refusal to refund unearned fees received in advance where the lawyer performed no services or such an insignificant portion of the service that the refusal to refund the unearned fees constitutes a wrongful taking or conversion of money. 3. A lawyer’s act of intentional dishonesty or deceit which proximately leads to the loss of money or property. C. The ‘‘Fund’’ shall mean the Clients’ Security Fund of the State Bar of Wyoming. D. A ‘‘lawyer’’ shall mean one who, at the time of the act complained of, was a member of the State Bar of Wyoming, was domiciled in Wyoming, and was actually engaged in the practice of law in Wyoming. The fact that the act complained of took place outside the State of Wyoming does not necessarily mean that the lawyer was not engaged in the practice of law in Wyoming. E. ‘‘Reimbursable losses’’ are only those losses of money or other property of clients of lawyers which meet the following tests: 1. The defalcation which occasioned the loss occurred on or after September 1, 1966. 2. The loss was caused by the dishonest conduct of a lawyer acting as an attorney in the matter in which the loss arose. 3. The loss to be paid to any one client of any one lawyer shall not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) per year. 4. The lawyer shall have died or been subject to criminal or disciplinary proceedings, or have ceased to be a member of the Wyoming State Bar. 5. The following shall be excluded from ‘‘reimbursable losses’’:

(a) Losses of wives and other close relatives, partners, associates and employees of lawyers causing the losses. (Amended December 30, 1999, effective March 22, 2000.)