STATE BAR OF NEW MEXICO

Office of general counsel and regulatory programs the office of general counsel is a professional office that assists the state bar and the foundation with policy and regulatory functions of an integrated bar. Specifically, its functions are to protect the legal and policy interests of the state bar; assist in governance and regulatory functions; provide a professional legal resource for leadership, volunteers, and staff; assist with outreach to the judiciary; and advise in the areas of legislative, executive, and judicial processes. In addition, the office of general counsel oversees the administration of the access to justice fund (atj) and the client protection fund (cpf). The state bar's atj fund grant commission is the financial steward of the new mexico supreme court fund for the atj fund, for which the state bar is the fiscal agent. The atj fund consists of funds generated pursuant to supreme court rule, including interest on lawyer's trust accounts (iolta) and pro hac vice fees, as well as donations. The atj fund provides grants to qualified civil legal service providers selected by the atj fund grant commission. The state bar is also the iolta program administrator for new mexico. An iolta account is a pooled, interest-bearing demand deposit account used by lawyers to hold client funds. The current rules require that all new mexico attorneys who hold eligible funds to participate in iolta and that the funds be held at eligible financial institutions. The interest generated by the client funds held in a pooled, interest-bearing trust account are remitted to the state bar, which holds the funds in the atj fund and distributes them at the discretion of the new mexico supreme court and the atj fund grant commission. The commission on client protection is a statewide body whose purpose is to promote public confidence in the administration of justice and the integrity of the legal profession by reimbursing losses caused by the dishonest conduct of lawyers admitted and licensed to practice law in the courts of new mexico. The funds in the client protection fund are used for reimbursing these losses. The office of general counsel and regulatory programs also oversees the licensing of new mexico admitted attorneys and nonadmitted attorneys wishing to appear before a new mexico court in a civil matter, who are charged pro hac vice filing fees.