National Organization of Bar Counsel chooses Phila. lawyer as new treasurer

The National Organization of Bar Counsel has elected Philadelphia attorney

Paul J. Burgoyne to serve as its treasurer.

Burgoyne, an officer and member of the NOBC’s board of directors, also serves as deputy chief disciplinary counsel for the Disciplinary Board of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

In his new role with the NOBC, Burgoyne will review funding requests for the organization, prepare the annual budget in concert with the group’s budget committee and administer the financial policies of the group, according to a news release announcing Burgoyne’s selection as NOBC treasurer.

Burgoyne, who previously served as both secretary and director-at-large for the NOBC, will also now serve as the vice chair of the group’s Program Planning Committee.

The NOBC is a nonprofit organization comprised of lawyers and other legal professionals who enforce ethics rules that regulate attorney conduct for those practicing in the United States, Canada and Australia.

The organization, which reportedly has representatives from more than 75 state, local and federal lawyer regulatory agencies, desires to advance the goals of attorney regulation through contributions made through both state bars and the American Bar Association, influence rule making, and speaks out on issues involving attorney regulation and professionalism, according to the NOBC.

“For me, there is no higher calling than serving those who serve,” Burgoyne said in a statement released by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Board. “NOBC members serve their courts and the public every day, and assisting them is a gift.

“I have been fortunate to work with the NOBC in many capacities over the years, and in my new role I look forward to ensuring the continued fiscally sound operation of the organization and expanding services to members.”

Burgoyne said that he believes NOBC membership is a necessity for all attorneys working in attorney regulation.

“As the practice of law becomes more national and international, the relationships among the member jurisdictions are integral to performing our jobs,” he stated.

Burgoyne has worked in the Pennsylvania’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel for over three decades, his biography states. He has served as deputy chief disciplinary counsel since the early 1990s.

The office, which is overseen by the state Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Board, investigates complaints made against attorneys licensed to practice law in the commonwealth, and occasionally prosecutes such complaints.

Burgoyne also uses his role at the ODC to provide educational programs for both lawyers and consumers.

He previously served as staff counsel for the Philadelphia office of the ODC and eventually became counsel-in-charge of that office from 1987 to 1993.

Burgoyne also spent a few years in private practice, taking on both civil and criminal cases.

Burgoyne, who obtained his law degree at Rutgers University, currently conducts seminars and participates in panel discussions for groups such as the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Defender Association of Philadelphia, the Conference of County Bar Leaders, and the National Association of Legal Secretaries, his bio states.