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Montana State Bar president defends association's role, cites Keller and confidentiality during Judiciary Committee hearing
Summary
Tony Tease, president of the Montana State Bar, told the Senate Judiciary Committee the bar is independently funded, operates under Keller precedent when taking legislative positions, and cannot comment on pending disciplinary proceedings; senators pressed for clarification and discussed a December 23 letter and related response.
Tony Tease, president of the Montana State Bar, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee (by Zoom) in response to a December 23 letter from senators and explained the bar's governance, funding and limits on commenting about disciplinary matters.
The exchange matters because senators have raised questions about comments made at a state bar CLE program last April and whether the bar should apologize or otherwise respond; the committee also discussed possible legislative implications, including LC 44 (now referenced as Senate Bill 92). Tease repeatedly declined to discuss specifics of any pending disciplinary matter, saying those matters are confidential and handled by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel.
Tease said the State Bar is "entirely self funded" and that its…
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