Rule 1:20A-1. Appointment and Organization

(a) Fee Arbitration Districts The Supreme Court shall establish, and may from time to time alter, fee arbitration districts consisting of defined geographical areas and shall appoint in each district a District Fee Arbitration Committee which shall consist of such number of members, not fewer than 8, as the Court may determine, at least 4 of whom shall be attorneys of this state and at least 2 of whom shall not be attorneys. Any person appointed shall either reside or work in the district or county in which the district is located.

(b) Appointments Members of Fee Committees shall be appointed by and shall serve a term of 4 years. A member who has served a full term shall not be eligible for reappointment to a successive term but a member appointed to fill an unexpired term shall be eligible for reappointment to a full successive term. A member serving in connection with a proceeding in which testimony has begun at the time the member's term expires shall continue in such matter until its conclusion and the filing of an arbitration determination or stipulation of settlement unless relieved by the Supreme Court. In order that, as nearly as possible, the terms of one-quarter of the members shall expire each year, the Supreme Court may, when establishing a new fee committee, appoint members for terms of less than 4 years and members so appointed shall be eligible for reappointment to a full successive term. (c) Officers; Organization. The Supreme Court shall annually designate a member of each Fee Committee to serve as chair and another member to serve as vice chair. When the chair is absent or unable to act or is disqualified from acting due to a conflict, the vice chair shall perform the duties of the chair. Each Fee Committee shall hold an organization meeting in September of each year and shall meet regularly, except when there is no business to be conducted. The Fee Committee shall also meet at the call of the Supreme Court, the Chair, the Board or the Director. The Director shall, after consultation with the chair, appoint a secretary who shall not be a member of the Fee Committee but who shall be a member of the bar maintaining an office in the district or county in which the district is located. The secretary shall serve at the pleasure of the Director and be paid an amount annually set by the Supreme Court to reimburse the secretary for costs and expenses. The secretary shall keep full and complete records of all Fee Committee proceedings, shall maintain files with respect to all fee disputes received, shall transmit copies of all documents filed immediately on receipt thereof to the Director, and shall promptly notify the Director of each final disposition. Reports with respect to the work of the Fee Committee shall be filed by the secretary with the Director, as instructed by the Director.

(d) Office Each Fee Committee shall receive fee dispute inquiries at the office of its secretary and at such additional places as shall be designated by the Director.

(e) Filing; Transfer Unless specifically directed to the contrary by the Board or by the Director, a fee committee shall not act on fee arbitration requests involving an attorney who does not maintain an office within the district but shall refer that information to the Director for appropriate referral. A fee committee shall not render advisory opinions. On request of a fee committee or sua sponte, the Director may transfer any matter to another fee committee and may, on direction of the Supreme Court or sua sponte, supersede the functions of a fee committee.