(a) A lawyer who possesses unprivileged knowledge of a violation of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct that raises a question as to any lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects, shall inform a disciplinary authority empowered to investigate or act upon such a violation.(b) A lawyer who possesses unprivileged knowledge that a judge has committed a violation of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct or applicable rules of judicial conduct shall inform the appropriate authority.(c) Any information obtained by a member of a committee or subcommittee of a bar association, or by a member, employee, or agent of a nonprofit corporation established by a bar association, designed to assist lawyers with substance abuse or mental health problems, provided the information was obtained while the member, employee, or agent was performing duties as a member, employee, or agent of the committee, subcommittee, or nonprofit corporation, shall be privileged for all purposes under this rule. Comment
[1] Self-regulation of the legal profession requires that a member of the profession initiate disciplinary investigation when the lawyer knows of a violation of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct involving that lawyer or another lawyer. A lawyer has a similar obligation with respect to judicial misconduct. An apparently isolated violation may indicate a pattern of misconduct that only a disciplinary investigation can uncover. Reporting a violation is especially important where the victim is unlikely to discover the offense.[2] A report about misconduct is not required where it would involve the disclosure of privileged information. However, a lawyer should encourage a client to consent to disclosure where it would not substantially prejudice the client's interests.[4] The duty to report professional misconduct does not apply to a lawyer retained to represent a lawyer whose professional conduct is in question. Such a situation is governed by the rules applicable to the client-lawyer relationship. See Rule 1.6.[5] Information about a lawyer's or judge's misconduct or fitness may be received by a lawyer in the course of that lawyer's participation in an approved lawyers or judges assistance program. In that circumstance, providing for an exception to the reporting requirements of divisions (a) and (b) of this rule encourages lawyers and judges to seek treatment through such a program. Conversely, without such an exception, lawyers and judges may hesitate to seek assistance from these programs, which may then result in additional harm to their professional careers and additional injury to the welfare of clients and the public.Comparison to former Ohio Code of Professional Responsibility
Rule 8.3 is comparable to DR 1-103 but differs in two respects. First, Rule 8.3 does not contain the strict reporting requirement of DR 1-103. DR 1-103 requires a lawyer to report all misconduct of which the lawyer has unprivileged knowledge. Rule 8.3 requires a lawyer to report misconduct only when the lawyer possesses unprivileged knowledge that raises a question as to any lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness in other respects. Second, Rule 8.3 requires a lawyer to self-report.
Comparison to ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct
Rule 8.3 is revised to comport more closely to DR 1-103. Division (a) is rewritten to require the self-reporting of disciplinary violations. In addition, the provisions of divisions (a) and (b) are broadened to require reporting of (1) any violation by a lawyer that raises a question regarding the lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness, and (2) any ethical violation by a judge. In both provisions, language is included to limit the reporting requirement to circumstances where a lawyer's knowledge of a reportable violation is unprivileged.
Division (c), which deals with confidentiality of information regarding lawyers and judges participating in lawyers' assistance programs, has been strengthened to reflect Ohio's position that such information is not only confidential, but "shall be privileged for all purposes" under DR 1-103(C). The substance of DR 1-103(C) has been inserted in place of Model Rule 8.3(c).
In light of the substantive changes made in divisions (a) and (b), Comment [3] is no longer applicable and is stricken. Further, due to the substantive changes made to confidentiality of information regarding lawyers and judges participating in lawyers' assistance programs, the last sentence in Comment [5] has been stricken.
Ohio. R. Prof'l. Cond. 8.3