Bar speeds discipline records posting.

Supreme Court orders suspending and disbarring lawyers will be posted more quickly on member pages of the Bar's website, but the Board of Governors wants more time to mull a recommendation about posting disciplinary information online before final court action.

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The board received two proposals from the Citizens Forum and the Communications Committee at its July 26 meeting. Since last year, the forum and committee have been looking at the Bar's practices about making disciplinary information available online.

"They [forum members] were concerned that a member profile would reflect that a member is in good standing regardless of that member being involved in the grievance process at different levels," said Michelle Suskauer, Communications Committee chair. "What we're talking about is the grievance process after there is probable cause found by a grievance committee."

She said forum members were concerned that the Bar's website continues to show suspended and disbarred lawyers as members in good standing during the 30-day period they have to close down their practices after the court issues its final order.

The citizens' panel recommended that when the Bar receives the court order, the member websites be changed to say "Member in Good Standing/Suspension or Disbarment Pending," with a link to the public documents of the grievance.

The board unanimously approved that recommendation.

But board members had reservations about the second proposal, which Suskauer said would change Bar member profiles to "Member in Good Standing/Disciplinary Action Pending" after a referee makes a finding of guilt or a consent judgment has been signed. A link would also be provided to the public record documentation.

Public board member Anthony Holloway, chair of the Citizens Forum, said members were sensitive to concerns about posting information before final court action, but noted information about a grievance case is publicly available long before the court's final action. He said the committee looked at posting information after a grievance committee finds probable cause, after the referee's report, after the board reviews the case, and after the court acts.

"We don't want to put your name out there until it reaches a certain point.... We know the harm that can be done. We want to wait until it goes through some type of due process," he said. "We thought that was the best place, after the referee [issues findings]."

Board member Jay Cohen...