The Louisiana Supreme Court has amended Rule XIX, effective July 1, 2025, implementing fee increases and procedural changes to the state’s lawyer disciplinary system. The amendments modify cost structures across all sanction categories and introduce enhanced procedural requirements.
Under the new fee structure, disciplinary costs will increase substantially. Admonitions rise from $250 to $500, public reprimands increase from $1,000 to $1,500, and other public sanctions grow from $1,500 to $2,000. Disbarment proceedings will cost $3,000, compared to the previous $2,000. The amendments establish new fee categories, including $2,000 for court findings of guilt without sanction and $1,500 for probation or conditional admission revocations.
The amendments modify several procedural aspects of disciplinary proceedings. Discovery periods extend from 20 to 60 days following answer filing, with new requirements for privilege logs and mandatory disclosure of sworn statements. The rules establish specific procedures for cases involving disciplinary agency members as respondents, including special review processes and substitute appointments. Conditional admission revocation procedures now include provisions for interim suspension and expedited hearings.
For newly admitted attorneys, the amendments implement a graduated assessment structure. Attorneys admitted between July 1 and December 31 pay $115 upon oath administration, while those admitted January 1 through June 30 pay no assessment for their first fiscal year. Regular annual fees of $235 for attorneys practicing three or more years and $170 for those practicing less than three years continue thereafter.
Additional changes include updated child support compliance procedures with a processing fee increase from $25 to $100, enhanced cost recovery mechanisms, and clarified interim suspension procedures. The amendments also expand reinstatement eligibility to include lawyers whose conditional admission was revoked.
These modifications update the disciplinary system’s administrative framework and fee structure. Practitioners should review the changes in relation to compliance obligations and potential disciplinary exposure under the revised cost structure.
