DC Bar - Hearing Committee

The Hearing Committees of the Board have the authority under Rule XI to conduct hearings on formal charges of misconduct and contested petitions for reinstatement, limited hearings on petitions for negotiated discipline, and hearings on such other matters as the Court or Board may direct. Each Hearing Committee is composed of two attorney members and one public member. Hearing Committee members are appointed by the Board and are eligible to serve two three-year terms. There are 12 standing Hearing Committees and a roster of alternate Hearing Committee members, who serve when a regular member is unavailable.

The Hearing Committees consider evidence and the testimony of witnesses, taken under oath, in a proceeding that is public. Hearing Committees are generally guided, but not bound, by provisions or rules of court practice, procedure, pleading, and evidence. In contested disciplinary proceedings, the matter is briefed at the conclusion of the hearing, and the Hearing Committee prepares a report and recommendation, with proposed findings of fact, conclusions of law, and a recommended sanction, which is filed with the Board. In contested petitions for reinstatement, the Hearing Committee files its proposed findings and recommendation directly with the Court. Petitions for negotiated discipline are considered after a limited hearing, where the Hearing Committee determines whether the agreement complies with the requirements of Rule XI and the Board Rules and if the agreed-upon sanction is justified. If the Hearing Committee approves the negotiated discipline, it files its recommendation directly with the Court. If it does not approve the negotiated discipline, the Hearing Committee issues an order rejecting the agreement of the parties.

Attorney members of the Hearing Committees (referred to as “Contact Members”) are also responsible for reviewing, approving, or suggesting modifications to Disciplinary Counsel’s proposed dispositions of disciplinary complaints.

Hearing Committee Members

HEARING COMMITTEE NUMBER ONE

Kathleen T. Wach, Esquire

HEARING COMMITTEE NUMBER TWO

William J. O’Malley Jr., Esquire

HEARING COMMITTEE NUMBER THREE

Thomas DiLeonardo, Esquire
Ms. Kaprice Gettemy-Chambers
Elizabeth Denise Curtis, Esquire

HEARING COMMITTEE NUMBER FOUR

Leslie H. Spiegel, Esquire
Dr. William V. Hindle
F. Nicole Porter, Esquire

HEARING COMMITTEE NUMBER FIVE

Mr. Octave Ellis
Esther Yong McGraw, Esquire

HEARING COMMITTEE NUMBER SIX

Mr. Richard Romero
Margaret DiPentima Hedges, Esquire

HEARING COMMITTEE NUMBER SEVEN

Marcie R. Ziegler, Esquire
Ms. Marcia Carter
Jennifer Lanoff, Esquire

HEARING COMMITTEE NUMBER EIGHT

Daniel I. Weiner, Esquire
Thomas E. Gilbertsen, Esquire

HEARING COMMITTEE NUMBER NINE

Buffy Mims, Esquire
Mr. Hal Kassoff
Tonya D. Love, Esquire

HEARING COMMITTEE NUMBER TEN

Gwen S. Green, Esquire

HEARING COMMITTEE NUMBER ELEVEN

Matthew J. Herrington, Esquire
Mr. Joel Kavet
Sheila J. Carpenter, Esquire

HEARING COMMITTEE NUMBER TWELVE

Caroline E. Reynolds, Esquire
Mr. Trevor Mitchell
Dwaune L. Dupree, Esquire

Lawyer Alternates

Julie Abbate, Esquire

Edward Baldwin, Esquire

Webster R. M. Beary, Esquire

Christina Biebesheimer, Esquire

Jennifer I. Brandi, Esquire

Monya M. Bunch, Esquire

William J. Corcoran, Esquire

Charles Davant, IV, Esquire

Daniela de la Piedra, Esquire

Jeffrey Dill, Esquire

Kevin M. Dinan, Esquire

Mitchell F. Dolin, Esquire

Andrew J. Doyle, Esquire

Douglas Dziak, Esquire

Terry Eaton, Esquire

Warren Anthony Fitch, Esquire

Theodore D. Frank, Esquire

Jeffery R. Freund, Esquire

Amy E. Garber, Esquire

Katherine L. Garrett, Esquire

John R. Gerstein, Esquire

Rebecca Goldfrank, Esquire

Lisa Taeko Greenlees, Esquire

Seth I. Heller, Esquire

Eric Hirschhorn, Esquire

Merril Hirsh, FCIArb

Josh Hochberg, Esquire

Kevin P. Jenkins, Esquire

Stephen D. Juge, Esquire

Matthew J. Kelly, Esquire

James A. Kidney, Esquire

Samer B. Korkor, Esquire

Mary E. Kuntz, Esquire

Benjamin M. Lee, Esquire

Edward R. Levin, Esquire

Leonard J. Marsico, Esquire

Paul J. Mason, Esquire

Scott A. McKeown, Esquire

Patricia B. Millerioux, Esquire

Benjamin M. Moss, Esquire

Heidi Murdy-Michael, Esquire

Dawn E. Murphy-Johnson, Esquire

Christina Parascandola, Esquire

Aaron G. Pease, Esquire

Kara L. Petteway, Esquire

Louis Ramos, Esquire

Michael B. Roberts, Esquire

Joshua D. Rogaczewski, Esquire

Matthew K. Roskoski, Esquire

Simeon M. Schopf, Esquire

Daniel C. Schwartz, Esquire

Steven R. Semler, Esquire

Martin Shulman, Esquire

Dianne J. Smith, Esquire

Rebecca C. Smith, Esquire

Miriam Smolen, Esquire

John J. Soroka, Esquire

Ronald M. Spritzer, Esquire

Arlus J. Stephens, Esquire

John H. Sturc, Esquire

John L. Szabo, Esquire

Teresa N. Taylor, Esquire

Michelle C. Thomas, Esquire

Michael E. Tigar, Esquire

William Way, Esquire

Christian S. White, Esquire

Public Member Alternates

Dr. Robin J. Bell

Mr. Terry L. Bell

Mr. Kevin M. Curtain

Ms. Judy L. Deason

Mr. Luis Pinto Delgado

Ms. Sheila Flanagan

Ms. La Verne Fletcher

Ms. Ria Fletcher

Ms. Judy R. Franz

Mr. George Hager

Ms. Mary C. Larkin

Ms. Patricia N. Mathews

Rabbi Marc Lee Raphael

Mr. Cheo Scott, CFA, CIPM

Dr. Christopher Speller, D.B.A.

Dr. Gail K. Thornburgh

Dr. Arthur J. Wilson

                                
                                Hearing and Oral Argument Schedule
                            An upcoming schedule of hearings and oral arguments held in Courtroom II of the Historic Courthouse of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

                                Rules of the Board on Professional Responsibility
                            Effective November 6, 2018, the Board on Professional Responsibility has amended its rules of procedure.

                                Forms and Documents
                            Various Board on Professional Responsibility forms and documents.

                                Disciplinary Decisions
                            Disciplinary system recommendations and actions are available from 1979 to the present and updated as information is received from the Office of Disciplinary Counsel and Board on Professional Responsibility.