Page 383 - 2024 Orientation Manual

 Misappropriation or misuse of LSBA resources, such as funds, supplies, or other
assets;
 Authorizing or receiving compensation for goods not received or services not
performed; and/or
 Authorizing or receiving compensation for hours not worked.

 Whistleblower – An Employee, consultant, volunteer or other individual who informs a
supervisor, the LSBA Executive Director or LSBA President about an activity relating to the
Louisiana State Bar Association which that person reasonably believes to be fraudulent or
dishonest.

Reporting

A person’s concerns about possible fraudulent or dishonest conduct should be promptly reported to his
or her supervisor, or if a volunteer is suspected, to the LSBA Executive Director. Alternately, to
facilitate reporting of suspected violations where the reporter wishes to remain anonymous, a written
statement may be submitted to the Executive Director.

If an Employee has concerns about fraudulent or dishonest conduct by the Executive Director, the
Employee should immediately report this to the LSBA President.

Supervisors

Supervisors are required to immediately report suspected fraudulent or dishonest conduct to the
Executive Director. Reasonable care should be taken in dealing with such conduct to avoid:

 Baseless allegations;
 Premature notice to persons suspected of fraudulent or dishonest conduct and/or disclosure
of such suspected conduct to others not involved with the investigation; and/or
 Violations of a person’s rights under law.

Due to the important yet sensitive nature of the suspected violations, effective professional follow-up
is critical. Supervisors, while appropriately concerned about resolving such issues, should not, under
any circumstances, perform any investigative or other follow-up steps on their own. Accordingly, a
supervisor who becomes aware of suspected misconduct:

 Shall not contact the person suspected to further investigate the matter or demand restitution;
 Shall not discuss the case with non-LSBA attorneys (but only with LSBA attorneys involved
with the investigation of alleged violations of this policy), the media, or anyone (other than the
Executive Director), or, in instances where the Executive Director is suspected of fraudulent or
dishonest conduct, the LSBA President. These provisions are not to be construed so as to
prohibit the reporting of fraudulent or dishonest conduct to appropriate authorities as dictated
by law.

Investigation

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