Comprehensive Lawyer Regulatory System

Lawyer Regulatory System Components

Rule 2 of the Guam Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement and Disability Proceedings (“GRLDEDP”) establishes the Commission on Lawyer Regulation (“Commission”). The Commission oversees the administrative processes of the Comprehensive Lawyer Regulatory System components, which includes the Office of Regulation Counsel, the Investigative Committee, and the Hearing Panel, without substantive involvement in any particular matters concerning lawyer misconduct or disability.

The Commission is appointed by the Supreme Court of Guam and consists of three (3) active members of the Bar of Guam in good standing and two (2) public members, who serve for fixed, staggered terms.

In March 2021, the following Commission members were appointed by the Court (Order, ADC21-002 (Mar. 29, 2021)):



Lawyer Members

John Weisenberger - Chair
Sirena Perez Cassidy - Vice-Chair
John Patrick Morrison

Public Members

Artemio “Ricky” Hernandez – Treasurer
Margarita D. Perez Leon Guerrero - Secretary

In March 2023, the Court reappointed lawyer member John Morrison and public member Margarita D. Perez Leon Guerrero and appointed lawyer member Vince Camacho to fill the vacancy upon the expiration of lawyer member John Weisenberger’s term. The current composition of the Commission is as follows (Order, ADC23-001 (Mar. 17, 2023)):

Lawyer Members

John Patrick Morrison – Chair
Sirena Perez Cassidy – Vice-Chair
Vince Camacho

Public Members

Artemio “Ricky” Hernandez – Treasurer
Margarita D. Perez Leon Guerrero - Secretary

The Commission’s powers and duties include but are not limited to:

  • Reviewing the functioning of the Comprehensive Lawyer Regulatory System and submitting reports to the Court which may provide for proposed amendments to the GRLDEDP, the Guam Rules of Professional Conduct, and other Court rules;
  • Informing the public of the existence and operation of the lawyer discipline system and the means by which the public may make a complaint against a lawyer;
  • Developing and implementing training programs and materials, with the assistance of Regulation Counsel, for all lawyer discipline system volunteers and for Regulation Counsel;
  • Responsible for access to and dissemination of public disciplinary information, including informing the disciplinary enforcement agency of every jurisdiction in which a lawyer is admitted and the National Lawyer Regulatory Data Bank maintained by the ABA, and publication on the GBA website and in a newspaper of general circulation in Guam;
  • Coordinating with Regulation Counsel on the preparation and publication of an annual report; and
  • Preparing an annual budget for the Comprehensive Lawyer Regulatory System and its components for submission to the Court.

The Commission members are volunteers and do not receive compensation for their services but may be reimbursed for expenses incidental to the performance of their duties.

Please see the GRLDEDP for a full description of the Commission on Lawyer Regulation.

Rule 3 of the Guam Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement and Disability Proceedings (“GRLDEDP”) establishes the Investigative Committee charged with overseeing the substantive investigative component of the Comprehensive Lawyer Regulatory System.

The Investigative Committee is appointed by the Supreme Court of Guam and consists of five (5) active members of the bar of Guam in good standing and two (2) public members, who serve for fixed, staggered terms.

The Investigative Committee members were appointed by the Court in July 2021, September 2021, and October 2023. See Order, ADC21-003 (Jul. 26, 2021), Amended Order, ADC21-003 (Sept. 1, 2021), and Order, ADC23-002 (Oct. 11, 2023). The current composition of the Investigative Committee is as follows:


Lawyer Members

Rodney J. Jacob - Chair
Jeffrey Alan Cook - Vice-Chair
Cynthia V. Ecube
Joseph McDonald
Dean V. A. Manglona

Lawyer Alternates

Michael J. Gatewood
Vanessa Lee Williams
John Thomas Brown

Public Members

Selina Onedera-Salas
Johnny P. Taitano

The Investigative Committee’s powers and duties include but are not limited to:

  • Authorizing and overseeing Regulation Counsel’s investigations of complaints brought by any source against lawyers pursuant to the GRLDEDP, including matters initially opened on the Investigative Committee’s own motion based on information brought to the nvestigative Committee’s attention from any source including reports from Regulation Counsel;
  • Resolving complaints or matters which may result in the dismissal, issuance of a letter of caution or of a private admonition, or prosecution of lawyer discipline matters, or the referral to an alternative discipline program;
  • Reporting and making recommendations to the Commission on Lawyer Regulation regarding the general functioning of the Comprehensive Lawyer Regulatory System, which may include proposed amendments to the GRLDEDP, the Guam Rules of Professional Conduct, or other Court rules; and
  • Holding regular meetings to conduct the business of the Investigative Committee.

The Investigative Committee members are volunteers and do not receive compensation for their services but may be reimbursed for expenses incidental to the performance of their duties.

Please see the GRLDEDP for a full description of the Investigative Committee.

Rule 4 of the Guam Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement and Disability Proceedings (“GRLDEDP”) establishes the Hearing Panel charged with overseeing the substantive adjudicative component of the Comprehensive Lawyer Regulatory System.

The Hearing Panel is appointed by the Supreme Court of Guam and consists of five (5) lawyers who are active members of the bar of Guam in good standing and two (2) public members, who serve for fixed, staggered terms.

The Hearing Panel members were appointed by the Court in July 2021, September 2021, and October 2023. See Order, ADC21-003 (Jul. 26, 2021), Amended Order, ADC21-003 (Sept. 1, 2021), and Order, ADC23-002 (Oct. 11, 2023). The current composition of the Hearing Panel is as follows:



Lawyer Members

G. Patrick Civille - Chair
Jocelyn M. Roden - Vice-Chair
Oliver Weston Bordallo
R. Marsil Johnson
Renita Taimanao-Munoz

Lawyer Alternates

John Vincent Reyes Aguon
Rawlen M. T. Mantanona
Terrence M. Brooks

Public Members

Mayor Jessy C. Gogue, Municipality of Chalan Pago-Ordot
Elizabeth Gayle

Alternate Public Member

Pika Fejeran

The Hearing Panel’s powers and duties include but are not limited to:

  • Considering and deciding prehearing motions and other prehearing matters;
  • Conducting hearings into formal charges of misconduct or other hearings as ordered by the Court; and
  • Submitting to the Court written findings of fact, conclusions of law, and recommendations as directed by the GRLDEDP.

The Hearing Panel members are volunteers and do not receive compensation for their services but may be reimbursed for expenses incidental to the performance of their duties.

Please see the GRLDEDP for a full description of the Hearing Panel.

Rule 5 of the Guam Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement and Disability Proceedings (“GRLDEDP”) provides that the Supreme Court of Guam shall appoint a lawyer admitted to practice law in Guam to serve as Regulation Counsel.

As part of the transition with the GRLDEDP and Comprehensive Lawyer Regulatory System, Attorney Alicia Limtiaco became the newly and first-appointed Regulation Counsel. Attorney Limtiaco took office on September 13, 2021.

Regulation Counsel’s powers and duties include but are not limited to:

  • Receiving information and complaints regarding the conduct of lawyers over whom the Court has jurisdiction;
  • Evaluating all information to determine whether it concerns a lawyer subject to the jurisdiction of the Court because it relates to misconduct by the lawyer or to the incapacity of the lawyer;
  • Determining whether the facts stated in a complaint or other information regarding the conduct of a lawyer provide grounds for further action by any committee designated by the Court under Rule 1 of the GRLDEDP or any other component of the Judiciary of Guam, and/or any outside agency or body;
  • Investigating and prosecuting complaints as authorized by the Investigative Committee and the Hearing Panel;
  • Coordinating and communicating with other jurisdictions in which a lawyer is admitted regarding discipline and disability matters; and
  • Collaborating with the Commission on Lawyer Regulation on developing and implementing training programs and materials for all lawyer discipline system volunteers as well as conducting public awareness and education efforts to the community-at-large regarding the Comprehensive Lawyer Regulatory System.

Please see the GRLDEDP for a full description of the Office of Regulation Counsel.