Rules of Court · Part 1 · New Jersey
R. 1:20-15A New Jersey Rules of Court, R. 1:20-15A: Final Disciplinary Determinations; Sanctions, rendered as code with every cross-reference linked
Final Disciplinary Determinations; Sanctions
(a) Categories of Discipline. The imposition of final discipline may include any of the following sanctions, all of which shall be public:
(1) Disbarment. An attorney who is disbarred shall have his or her name stricken from the roll of attorneys. In some cases, disbarment may be permanent (not subject to a petition for readmission).
(2) Indeterminate Suspension. Unless the Court’s Order provides otherwise, an indeterminate suspension shall prohibit the attorney from seeking reinstatement for a minimum of four years.
(3) Term of Suspension. Absent special circumstances, a suspension for a term shall be for a period that is no less than three months and no more than three years.
(4) Censure.
(5) Reprimand.
(6) Admonition.
(b) Conditions. The Supreme Court's Order may provide for one or more of the following, either as a part of a sanction imposed pursuant to paragraph (a) or as a condition to reinstatement:
(1) Financial controls including, but not limited to, a designated co-signatory for all attorney trust and business account checks;
(2) Restrictions on the ability to practice including, but not limited to, the use of a supervising attorney approved by the Office of Attorney Ethics as a prerequisite to engaging in the private practice of law;
(3) Substance abuse control including, but not limited to, requiring abstinence, testing, and an identifiable commitment to appropriate support groups;
(4) Mental health treatment and counseling, together with a finding of fitness to practice by a mental health professional approved by the Office of Attorney Ethics;
(5) Taking and passing the New Jersey bar examination, as well as Meeting all other qualifications for admission including, but not limited to, a certification of the attorney's good character by the Supreme Court after review by the Committee on Character; and
(6) Such other conditions as may be deemed appropriate in the light of the circumstances presented including, but not limited to, probation or a suspended suspension.
Note: Adopted July 30, 2002, to be effective September 3, 2002; paragraph (a) amended February 27, 2026 to be effective March 1, 2026.
Verbatim rule text, unmarked. Nothing here is a summary.
rule 1:20-15A "Final Disciplinary Determinations; Sanctions" {
(a) Categories of Discipline. The imposition of final discipline may include any of the following sanctions, all of which shall be public:
(1) Disbarment. An attorney who is disbarred shall have his or her name stricken from the roll of attorneys. In some cases, disbarment may be permanent (not subject to a petition for readmission).
(2) Indeterminate Suspension. Unless the Court’s Order provides otherwise, an indeterminate suspension shall prohibit the attorney from seeking reinstatement for a minimum of four years.
(3) Term of Suspension. Absent special circumstances, a suspension for a term shall be for a period that is no less than three months and no more than three years.
(4) Censure.
(5) Reprimand.
(6) Admonition.
(b) Conditions. The Supreme Court's Order may provide for one or more of the following, either as a part of a sanction imposed pursuant to paragraph (a) or as a condition to reinstatement:
(1) Financial controls including, but not limited to, a designated co-signatory for all attorney trust and business account checks;
(2) Restrictions on the ability to practice including, but not limited to, the use of a supervising attorney approved by the Office of Attorney Ethics as a prerequisite to engaging in the private practice of law;
(3) Substance abuse control including, but not limited to, requiring abstinence, testing, and an identifiable commitment to appropriate support groups;
(4) Mental health treatment and counseling, together with a finding of fitness to practice by a mental health professional approved by the Office of Attorney Ethics;
(5) Taking and passing the New Jersey bar examination, as well as Meeting all other qualifications for admission including, but not limited to, a certification of the attorney's good character by the Supreme Court after review by the Committee on Character; and
(6) Such other conditions as may be deemed appropriate in the light of the circumstances presented including, but not limited to, probation or a suspended suspension.
Note: Adopted July 30, 2002, to be effective September 3, 2002; paragraph (a) amended February 27, 2026 to be effective March 1, 2026.
}
referenced_by: 1:20-15B
source: njcourts.gov // verbatim; changed 2026-03-20; corpus harvested 2026-09-02← R. 1:20-15 · R. 1:20-16 → · chapter 1:20 · all rules
The Rules of Court are a government edict and carry no copyright; the text above is the Judiciary’s own publication, unchanged. Structure, links and highlighting are ours and carry no legal weight. Read the rule on njcourts.gov before you rely on it; amendments take effect each September 1.