RPC RULE 8.1
              BAR ADMISSION AND DISCIPLINARY MATTERS


  An applicant for admission to the Bar, or a lawyer in connection with
a bar admission or reinstatement application, or in connection with a
disciplinary matter, shall not:

  (a) knowingly make a false statement of material fact; or

  (b) fail to disclose a fact necessary to correct a misapprehension
known by the person to have arisen in the matter, or knowingly fail to
respond to a lawful demand for information from an admissions or
disciplinary authority, except that this Rule does not require
disclosure of information otherwise protected by Rule 1.6.

Comment

  [1] The duty imposed by this Rule extends to persons seeking admission
to the bar as well as to lawyers. Hence, if a person makes a material
false statement in connection with an application for admission, it may
be the basis for subsequent disciplinary action if the person is
admitted, and in any event may be relevant in  subsequent admission
application. The duty imposed by this Rule applies to a lawyer's own
admission or discipline as well as that of others. Thus, it is a
separate professional offense for a lawyer to knowingly make a
misrepresentation or omission in connection with a disciplinary
investigation of the lawyer's own conduct. Paragraph (b) of this Rule
also requires correction of any prior misstatement in the matter that
the applicant or lawyer may have made and affirmative clarification of
any misunderstanding on the part of the admissions or disciplinary
authority of which the person involved becomes aware.

  [2] This Rule is subject to the provisions of the fifth amendment of
the United States Constitution and corresponding provisions of state
constitutions. A person relying on such a provision in response to a
question, however, should do so openly and not use the right of
nondisclosure as a justification for failure to comply with this Rule.

  [3] A lawyer representing an applicant for admission to the bar, or
representing a lawyer who is the subject of a disciplinary inquiry or
proceeding, is governed by the rules applicable to the client-lawyer
relationship, including Rule 1.6 and, in some cases, Rule 3.3.

Additional Washington Comment (4)

  [4] A lawyer's obligations under this Rule are in addition to the
lawyer's obligations under the Rules for Enforcement of Lawyer Conduct.


[Amended effective October 1, 2002; September 1, 2006.]