Section 2-20.—Disciplinary Provisions regarding Foreign Legal Consultants

Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026

In one sentenceThis rule subjects Connecticut foreign legal consultants to the Rules of Professional Conduct and to discipline by the court, and requires them to file a written commitment, proof of liability insurance, and an agent-for-service designation with the clerk.

Full Text of Section 2-20

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c)

(a) Every person licensed to practice as a foreign legal consultant under these rules:

(1) shall be subject to the Connecticut Rules of Professional Conduct and to the rules of practice regulating the conduct of attorneys in this state to the extent applicable to the legal services authorized under these rules, and shall be subject to reprimand, suspension, or revocation of license to practice as a foreign legal consultant by the court;

(2) shall execute and file with the clerk, in such form and manner as the court may prescribe:

(A) a written commitment to observe the Connecticut Rules of Professional Conduct and other rules regulating the conduct of attorneys as referred to in subsection (a) (1) of this section,

(B) an undertaking or appropriate evidence of professional liability insurance, in such amount as the court may prescribe, to assure the foreign legal consultant’s proper professional conduct and responsibility,

(C) a duly acknowledged instrument in writing setting forth the foreign legal consultant’s address in the state of Connecticut or United States, and designating the clerk of the Superior Court for the judicial district of Hartford as his or her agent upon whom process may be served. Such service shall have the same effect as if made personally upon the foreign legal consultant, in any action or proceeding thereafter brought against the foreign legal consultant and arising out of or based upon any legal services rendered or offered to be rendered by the foreign legal consultant within or to residents of the state of Connecticut, and

(3) a written commitment to notify the clerk of the foreign legal consultant’s resignation from practice in the foreign country of his or her admission or in any other state or jurisdiction in which said person has been admitted to practice law, or of any censure, reprimand, suspension, revocation or other disciplinary action relating to his or her right to practice in such country, state or jurisdiction.

(b) Service of process on the clerk pursuant to the designation filed as aforesaid shall be made by personally delivering to and leaving with the clerk, or with a deputy or assistant authorized by the clerk to receive service, at the clerk’s office, duplicate copies of such process together with a fee of $20. Service of process shall be complete when the clerk has been so served. The clerk shall promptly send one of the copies to the foreign legal consultant to whom the process is directed, by certified mail, return receipt requested or with electronic delivery confirmation, addressed to the foreign legal consultant at the address given to the court by the foreign legal consultant as aforesaid.

(c) In imposing any sanction authorized by subsection (a) (1), the court may act sua sponte or on the recommendation of the Statewide Grievance Committee. To the extent feasible, the court shall proceed in a manner consistent with the rules of practice governing discipline of the bar of the state of Connecticut.

End

Amendment History

(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 24E.) (Amended June 29, 1998, to take effect Sept. 1, 1998; amended June 14, 2013, to take effect Jan. 1, 2014.)

Plain-English Summary

This section applies Connecticut’s professional conduct and discipline rules to licensed foreign legal consultants, to the extent those rules apply to the legal services the consultant is authorized to perform. The court can reprimand, suspend, or revoke a foreign legal consultant’s license.

Every foreign legal consultant must file with the clerk a written commitment to observe the Connecticut Rules of Professional Conduct, evidence of professional liability insurance in an amount the court sets, and a signed instrument listing their Connecticut or U.S. address and naming the clerk of the Superior Court for the judicial district of Hartford as their agent for service of process. They must also commit in writing to notify the clerk if they resign from practice in their home country or elsewhere, or face censure, reprimand, suspension, revocation, or other discipline there.

Service of process on the clerk under this designation is made by personally delivering duplicate copies along with a $20 fee; service is complete once the clerk has been served, and the clerk then forwards a copy to the foreign legal consultant by certified mail or with electronic delivery confirmation. When imposing discipline, the court may act on its own or on the recommendation of the Statewide Grievance Committee, and follows the same disciplinary procedures used for the Connecticut bar as far as feasible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are foreign legal consultants subject to Connecticut’s ethics rules?

Yes. They are subject to the Connecticut Rules of Professional Conduct and the rules regulating attorney conduct, to the extent those rules apply to their authorized legal services, and can be reprimanded, suspended, or have their license revoked.

Do foreign legal consultants need liability insurance?

Yes. They must file an undertaking or evidence of professional liability insurance in an amount the court prescribes.

Who can be served with a lawsuit against a foreign legal consultant?

The clerk of the Superior Court for the judicial district of Hartford, who is designated as the foreign legal consultant’s agent for service of process. Service on the clerk requires duplicate copies and a $20 fee.

Must a foreign legal consultant report discipline from their home country?

Yes. They must commit in writing to notify the clerk of any resignation from practice or any censure, reprimand, suspension, revocation, or other disciplinary action in the country or jurisdiction where they are admitted.

Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 2-20). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: foreign legal consultant discipline CTforeign legal consultant insurance requirementagent for service of process foreign legal consultantforeign legal consultant suspension revocation