Rule 2-79. Enforcement of Payment of Fee

(a) The client security fund committee shall send a notice to each attorney who has not paid the client security fund fee pursuant to Section 270 of these rules that the attorney's license to practice law in this state may be administratively suspended unless within sixty days from the date of such notice the client security fund committee receives from such attorney proof that he or she has either paid the fee or is exempt from such payment. If the client security fund committee does not receive such proof within the time required, it shall cause a second notice to be sent to the attorney advising the attorney that he or she will be referred to the Superior Court for an administrative suspension of the attorney's license to practice law in this state unless within thirty days from the date of the notice proof of the payment of the fee or exemption is received. The client security fund committee shall submit to the clerk of the Superior Court for the Hartford Judicial District a list of attorneys who did not provide proof of payment or exemption, within thirty days after the date of the second notice. Upon order of the court, the attorneys so listed and referred to the clerk shall be deemed administratively suspended from the practice of law in this state until such time as payment of the fee and the reinstatement fee assessed pursuant to Section 2-70 is made, which suspension shall be effective upon publication of the list in the Connecticut Law Journal. An administrative suspension of an attorney for failure to pay the client security fund fee shall not be considered discipline, but an attorney who is placed on administrative suspension for such failure shall be ineligible to practice law as an attorney admitted to practice in this state, and shall not be considered in good standing pursuant to Section 2-65 of these rules until such time as the fee and reinstatement fee are paid. An attorney aggrieved by an order placing the attorney on administrative suspension for failing to pay the client security fund fee may make an application to the Superior Court to have the order vacated, by filing the application with the Superior Court for the Hartford Judicial District within thirty days of the date that the order is published, and mailing a copy of the same by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the office of the client security fund committee. The application shall set forth the reasons why the application should be granted. The court shall schedule a hearing on the application, which shall be limited to whether good cause exists to vacate the suspension order.

(b) If a judge, judge trial referee, state referee, family support magistrate or administrative law judge has not paid the client security fund fee, the Office of the Chief Court Administrator shall send a notice to such person that he or she will be referred to the Judicial Review Council unless within sixty days from the date of such notice the Office of the Chief Court Administrator receives from such person proof that he or she has either paid the fee or is exempt from such payment. If the Office of the Chief Court Administrator does not receive such proof within the time required, it shall refer such person to the Judicial Review Council.

(c) Family support referees shall be subject to the provisions of subsection (a) herein until such time as they come within the jurisdiction of the Judicial Review Council, when they will be subject to the provisions of subsection (b).

(d) The notices required by this section shall be mailed to the last address registered by the attorney and sent by email to the last email address registered by the attorney pursuant to Section 2-26 and Section 2-27 (d), and mailed to the home address of the judge, judge trial referee, state referee, family support magistrate, family support referee or administrative law judge.

Committee Notes

amended June 20, 2005, to take effect Jan. 1, 2006; amended June 15, 2012, to take effect Jan. 1, 2013; amended June 9, 2023, to take effect Jan. 1, 2024.)