LAPLACE — Local resident Carl A. Butler is the new chairman for the administrative committee from the Louisiana Attorney’s Disciplinary Board.

Butler of Butler Law Firm in Kenner will be chairman until the end of his term in December.

According to Butler, the Board is an arm of the Louisiana Supreme Court with the basic function of receiving complaints from clients who feel their attorney committed some sort of professional misconduct.

“Those complaints are screened by the Office of Disciplinary Council. If it is determined that the complaint has merit, it is formally filed as a charge,” Butler said. “Then it is assigned to a hearing by the Disciplinary Board.”

Then, according to Butler, the attorney has the opportunity to respond to the complaint. Next a full hearing takes place, where it will be discussed whether or not there has been a violation of the professional rules of conduct. Butler said the Disciplinary Board acts as an appellate review board for decisions made by the hearing committee.

“After the Disciplinary Board reviews the evidence and hears arguments from both sides, it then makes a decision, which is rendered as a recommendation for the Louisiana Supreme Court,” Butler said. “They ultimately give a final decision on what discipline should be imposed on the attorney if any at all.”

Being a part of the regulatory body is something, Butler said, all members take seriously. Members include attorneys and members of the public.

Butler has been on the Board for the last five years, serving as a member, chairman of the adjudicative committee and now chairman of the administrate committee. Butler, who was nominated by a member of the Louisiana Supreme Court, said he has a sense of responsibility to protect the public from attorneys who don’t comply with the professional rules of conduct.

“I wanted to do my part in making sure our professionals are doing the right thing by the public,” he said. “It’s a pretty awesome responsibility, to be honest. It’s a very organized and efficient system. We’ve had number of very effective chairpersons that have proceeded me who I think have left the Board in very good shape.”

Butler plans to “take the reins” of the Board and help it continue moving in the direction that it is going.

“The Board is being handed over to me in very good shape,” he said. “I’m going to be managing the budget and managing human resources and making sure the Board continues to fulfill its mission.”