Hilary P. Gerzhoy and Grace H. Wynn recently co-authored a Law360 article titled “Despite Deputy AG Remarks, DOJ Can’t Sideline DC Bar,” analyzing Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s Nov. 7 statement that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) plans to revise internal regulations to prevent state disciplinary authorities, specifically the District of Columbia Bar, from reviewing attorney misconduct complaints.
The authors examine key legal and structural issues raised by Blanche’s proposal, including its conflict with long-established principles that state courts, not federal agencies, govern attorney licensing and discipline. The piece also previews what DOJ lawyers and oversight bodies can expect next and why Blanche’s remarks may intensify scrutiny of the department’s internal procedures. Read the full article here (subscription required).
Hilary is the Vice Chair of HWG LLP’s Legal Ethics and Malpractice Group, the Chair of the D.C. Rules Committee, a member of the ABA’s Standing Committee on Ethics, and she teaches legal ethics at the Georgetown University Law Center.
Grace focuses her practice on legal ethics and professional responsibility and teaches “Ethics and the Law of Lawyering” at Duke University Law School.