Notice - Proposed 2024 Attorney Discipline Budget - Comments Requested by November 22, 2023

The Report of the Supreme Court's Disciplinary Oversight Committee on the proposed 2023 Attorney Discipline Budget has been submitted to the Supreme Court for action. The Court has directed that the Report and an Overview of the proposed 2024 Attorney Discipline Budget be published for comment. Those documents are attached.

Among other contents, the Committee recommends that the disciplinary system component of the annual attorney registration fee increase by $28 for 2024 - from $173 to $201 - for a total attorney registration fee of $267.

This anticipated increase was signaled through prior Notices to the Bar, which indicated that, after a period of study, the Court has determined to increase staffing at the Office of Attorney Ethics in measured ways to better protect the public, to preserve the integrity of the bar, and to support the work of its invaluable, 900-member volunteer corps. Specifically, the Court authorized the addition of staff to the Office of Attorney Ethics to enable more timely disposition of grievances, investigations, hearings, and subsequent proceedings. Through those prior Notices, the Court made clear that the addition of staff is a measure to alleviate unnecessary delays; it is not intended as a mechanism to increase the number of investigations or random audits. In fact, no new auditors or investigators were added as a result of the staffing review. Rather, the staff additions include attorneys and administrative support to handle the existing volume of cases more expeditiously.

Please send any comments in writing by Wednesday, November 22, 2023 to: 

Clerk of the Supreme Court
Comments on Proposed Disciplinary Budget
Hughes Justice Complex; P.O. Box 970
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0970

Comments may also be submitted by email to

The Supreme Court will not consider comments submitted anonymously. Thus, those submitting comments by mail should include their name and address and those submitting comments by email should include their name and email address. Comments submitted in response to this notice are subject to public disclosure.