RULE 5.1.DISABILITY PROCEEDINGS.

A. Incapacity. If a lawyer is judicially declared to be incapacitated or is involuntarily committed on the grounds of incapacity or disability, the court, upon proper proof of the fact, shall enter an order immediately transferring the lawyer to disability inactive status until further order of the court. A copy of the order must be served upon the lawyer, a guardian or conservator (if any), and the director of any institution to which the lawyer has been committed.

B. Inability to Defend.

(1) If a lawyer alleges inability to assist in the defense of a disciplinary proceeding due to mental or physical incapacity, the court shall immediately transfer the lawyer to disability inactive status pending determination of the incapacity.

(2) If the court determines the claim of inability to defend is valid, the disciplinary proceeding must be deferred and the lawyer retained on disability inactive status until the court subsequently considers a petition for transfer of the lawyer to active status.

(3) If the court determines the claim of inability to defend is invalid, it shall take any action it deems proper and advisable, including a direction for the resumption of the disciplinary proceedings against the lawyer.

C. Incapacity to Practice Law. Information relating to a lawyer's physical or mental condition which adversely affects the ability to practice law, as distinguished from the ability to defend, must be investigated and, where warranted, formal proceedings must be initiated to determine whether the lawyer should be transferred to incapacitated status. The hearings must be conducted in the same manner as disciplinary proceedings, except that all such proceedings are confidential. The court may take or direct whatever action it deems necessary or proper to determine whether the lawyer is incapacitated, including the examination of the lawyer by qualified medical experts designated by the court. If, upon due consideration of the matter, the court concludes that the lawyer is incapacitated from continuing to practice law, it shall enter an order transferring the lawyer to incapacitated status until further order of the court. Incapacitated status is a disability status for all purposes under these rules. All pending disciplinary proceedings against the lawyer must be investigated as if the lawyer were still on active status. The court shall provide for such notice of incapacity proceedings to the lawyer as it deems proper and may appoint an attorney to represent the lawyer.

D. Compliance with Applicable Law.Determinations under these rules of disability or incapacity must be made in compliance with applicable requirements of state and federal law.