How to Report a Lawyer for Ethics Violations

By Sachi Barreiro, Attorney, University of San Francisco School of Law

Lawyers who don’t live up to their ethical obligations can face discipline from a state board. Lawyers are human, and like everyone else, they sometimes make mistakes when representing clients. In some cases, the mistakes are small and easily fixable—for example, not filing enough copies of a document with the court or needing to reschedule a meeting. Other times, the mistakes are serious—such as missing the deadline to file a lawsuit, revealing confidential discussions with a client, or mishandling client funds. In these situations, the lawyer can face discipline for violating legal ethics, including losing the right to practice law.

Disciplinable Offenses

Lawyers are given a lot of responsibility and often deal with serious matters, from criminal charges to child custody to tax and other financial matters. When you hire a lawyer, you are trusting him or her to represent your interests in the best manner possible. To protect the public—and the integrity of the legal profession—each state has its own code of ethics that lawyers must follow. These are usually called the “rules of professional conduct.”

The American Bar Association publishes the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, which lists standard ethical violations and best practices for lawyers. Some states have adopted the model rules as their own ethical rules, while others use it as a guide and modify or add rules. However, most states cover issues such as communicating with clients, charging fees, handling client funds, and avoiding conflicts of interest.

Common complaints by clients include:

Failing to communicate with the client. Lawyers have a duty to keep their clients reasonably informed about the status of their cases, to respond promptly to requests for information, and to consult with their clients about important decisions in their cases (for example, whether to accept a settlement offer).
Not returning the client’s documents. A client’s file is generally considered to be the property of the client. When a client fires a lawyer and asks for the file, the lawyer must promptly return it. In some states, such as California, the lawyer must return the file even if attorneys’ fees haven’t been paid in full.
Lawyer incompetence. Lawyers must have the knowledge and experience to competently handle any case that they take on. They must also be sufficiently prepared to handle matters that come up in your case, from settlement negotiations to trial.
Conflicts of interest. Lawyers owe a duty of loyalty to their clients, which means they must act with the client’s best interests in mind. This includes avoiding situations that would create a conflict of interest—such as representing two clients on opposite sides of the same case or taking on a new client who wants to sue an existing client.
Financial matters. Misplacing or stealing client funds, refusing to hand over money owed to a client, or charging clearly excessive fees are all ethics violations. However, a simple dispute over how much you owe your lawyer in legal fees is generally not an ethics matter. Most of the time, these disputes are resolved through fee arbitration—an informal process where a neutral third party hears from both sides and makes a decision.

State Disciplinary Boards

Each state has a disciplinary board that enforces state ethics rules for lawyers. The board is usually an arm of the state’s supreme court and has authority to interpret ethics rules, investigate potential violations, conduct evidentiary hearings, and administer attorney discipline. Depending on the offense, the agency might:

issue a private reprimand (usually a letter sent to the lawyer)
issue a public reprimand (usually published in the agency’s official reports and a local legal journal or newspaper)
suspend the lawyer (the lawyer cannot practice law for a specific time)
disbar the lawyer (the lawyer loses his or her license to practice law), and/or
order the lawyer to pay restitution—in the form of money—to the client.

Some state disciplinary boards have websites where you can search for a lawyer by name and see if the lawyer has a history of discipline.

Filing a Complaint

If you think your lawyer has violated an ethical rule, you may file a complaint with the disciplinary board in the state where the lawyer is licensed.

In most states, you can file your complaint by mailing in a state-issued complaint form or a letter with the lawyer’s name and contact information, your contact information, a description of the problem, and copies of relevant documents. In some states, you may be able to lodge your complaint over the phone or online.

Some states allow anonymous complaints if the problems impact the general public, while others don’t. Either way, it can be difficult for the agency to investigate a complaint without the cooperation of the complaining party. The board needs to gather evidence before disciplining an attorney, and in some cases, the only available evidence is the testimony of the complaining party. Or, the board might need to know the identity of the complaining party in order to investigate at all—for example, if a client alleges that the lawyer stole funds from a client account, the agency would need to know which client account to focus on.

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In many cases, complaints come from the lawyer’s own clients. However, other attorneys and even judges sometimes file complaints against attorneys for improper behavior.

Investigation Process

In most cases, a board of lawyers and non-lawyers will review the complaint. If there’s a potential ethical violation, the board will give the lawyer a copy of the complaint and an opportunity to respond.

In some states, the complaining party has a chance to comment on the lawyer’s response and request an investigation. If there’s no evidence of a violation, the board will dismiss the case and notify you. If the violation is minor, a phone call or letter to the lawyer usually ends the matter. For serious violations, the board will hold an evidentiary hearing.

Malpractice Lawsuits

The purpose of the state disciplinary board is to discipline lawyers, not necessarily to compensate wronged clients for their losses. If you’re looking for compensation, a malpractice lawsuit is generally the way to go. However, legal malpractice lawsuits can be very difficult to win. Among other things, you must show that your lawyer made a significant mistake in your case and that you suffered a monetary loss because of it. In other words, you must show that you would have won your case—or received more in compensation—had it not been for your lawyer’s mistake.

Questions for Your Attorney

Can an attorney represent both spouses in a divorce action?
Is it an ethical violation if my attorney doesn’t tell me about settlement offers in my case?
Can an attorney withhold attorneys’ fees from my settlement even if I contest some charges he billed me for?

Disciplinary Counsel by State

You can find information for your state’s disciplinary board below, including its name, address, and a link to its website, where you can find out more about filing a complaint.

Filing Complaints Against Attorneys

If you have proof that an attorney violated his or her ethical obligations, consider filing a formal complaint.

Allowing a genuinely unethical attorney to practice harms everyone, including the Justice system itself. Be aware that in general, your proof must be conclusive. State Disciplinary Counsel are reluctant to discipline attorneys, even with clear and convincing proof against them. When sanctions are imposed, they may be of inconsequential proportions.

After several complaints, though, the likelihood is much greater that more serious sanctions will be imposed. One additional suggestion is the use of affidavits; we have heard of positive results obtained by sending the complaints as sworn affidavits of the attorney’s conduct and activities. You can also send any witness commentary as sworn affidavits along with the complaint to bolster the credibility of the complaint.

Do not file a complaint against an attorney unless you truly believe (and can prove) he or she acted in a blatantly unethical manner. Do not file a complaint to “get back” at an attorney. Do not file frivolous complaints regarding relatively minor misbehavior or about non-substantive issues- the court will NOT be sympathetic to these kinds of complaints. Filing a groundless or “annoyance” complaint will usually be to your detriment, as the court often deals harshly with the person who files such complaints.

Either request the proper form from the appropriate Disciplinary Office listed below, or modify this form letter to fit your particular circumstances. Use the list below the form letter to locate the correct contact for reporting ethics issues. Fill this contact in for the [name of governing body] lines. Normally after filing a complaint, you will receive a detailed form from your State’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel to fill out regarding your complaint.

COMPLAINT REGARDING ATTORNEY [name of attorney]

[Date]

TO: [fill in appropriate governing body]
[fill in appropriate address]
City, State, ZIP

RE: Ethics Violations By [name of attorney]

I hereby lodge an official complaint against [name of attorney] who is licensed in the State of [name of State], and is therefore subject to the [name of State] Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

Nature of the complaint:

[name of attorney] engaged in unethical behavior as detailed below:

[Detail the nature of the complaint. Be succinct and factual, do not enagage in any sarcasm or remarks of a personal nature. Offer to provide documentation or other proof upon request. You should also cite or paste in a copy of the specific guidelines that have been violated, or you can include it below.]

Date of Violation:___________________
Date Violation Discovered if different from above:________________

Other Relevant Information:

[Detail any other relevant information or event(s) here. This is a good place to cite or paste in a copy of the specific guidelines that have been violated, or you can include it above. Delete this section if your complaint is fully explained in the section above.]

I am sure the [name of governing body] will find this issue worthy of investigation, and I look forward to hearing from you as to the disposition of this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require additional information or have any questions.

Yours Truly,

[Your Name]
[Address]
[Phone number]

Alabama J. Anthony McLain Alabama State Bar
Phone: (334) 265-4793 Center for Professional Responsibility 415 Dexter Avenue P.O. Box 671 Montgomery, AL 36104
Filing Method: Visit website for form or submit detailed letter
Anonymity: Yes Site: www.alabar.org

Alaska
Stephen J. Van Goor Alaska Bar Association 510 L Street, Suite 602 P.O. Box 100279 Anchorage, AK 99510-0279
Phone:(907) 272-7469 Fax:(907) 272-2392
Filing Method: Call for form or submit detailed letter
Anonymity: No

Arkansas
James A. Neal Supreme Court of Arkansas Committee on Professional Conduct Justice Building 625 Marshall Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: (501) 376-0313 Fax: (501) 374-1853
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: No

Arizona
Margaret H. Downie State Bar of Arizona 111 West Monroe, Suite 1800 Phoenix, AZ 85003-1742
Phone: (602) 252-4804 Fax: (602) 271-4930
Filing Method: Call for form or submit detailed letter
Anonymity: No

California
Judy Johnson State Bar of California Office of the Chief Trial Counsel 1149 S. Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: (213) 765-1000 Fax: (213) 765-1029
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter to State Bar or call 800-843-9053 in California
Anonymity: Not guaranteed
Francis P. Bassios San Francisco Office 555 Franklin Street San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 561-8200 Fax: (415) 561-8214
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter to State Bar or call 800-843-9053 in California
Anonymity: Not guaranteed

Colorado
Linda D. Donnelly Colorado Supreme Court Office of the Disciplinary Counsel Dominion Plaza Building 600 17th Street, Suite 510 South Denver, CO 80202-5435
Phone: (303) 893-8121 Fax: (303) 893-5302
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter or call 877-888-1370
Anonymity: No

Connecticut
Daniel B. Horwitch Statewide Grievance Committee Second Floor, Suite Two 287 Main Street East Hartford, CT 06118-1885
Phone: (860) 568-5157 Fax: N/A
Filing Method: Call for form or obtain form from the Superior Court Clerks office
Anonymity: N/A

Delaware
David Curtis Glebe Delaware office of Disciplinary Counsel 200 West Ninth Street, Suite 300-A P.O. Box 472 Wilmington, DE 19899
Phone: (302) 577-7042 Fax: (302) 571-9433
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: Yes

District of Columbia
Leonard H. Becker District Columbia Board on Professional Responsibility 515 5th Street, NW, Building A, Rm. 127 Washington, D.C. 20001
Phone: (202) 638-1501 Fax: (202) 638-0862
Filing Method: Call for form or submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No

Florida
John T. Berry The Florida Bar 650 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300
Phone: (850) 561-5600; out-of-state (800) 874-0005; In-State (800) 342-8060 Fax: (850) 561-5665
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: No

Georgia
William P. Smith, III State Bar of Georgia 800 The Hurt Building 50 Hurt Plaza Atlanta, GA 30303-2934
Phone: (404) 527-8720 Fax: (404) 527-8717
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: No

Hawaii
Carole R. Richelieu Supreme Court of Hawaii Office of Disciplinary Counsel1132 Bishop Street, Suite 300Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: (808) 521-4591Fax: (808) 545-2719
Filing Method: N/A
Anonymity: N/A

Idaho
Michael J. Oths Idaho State Bar P.O. Box 895 204 West State Street Boise, ID 83701-0895
Phone: (208) 334-4500 Fax: (208) 334-4515 URL: http://www.state.id.us/isb
Filing Method: Submit detailed letter to: Idaho State Bar; Box 395; Boise, ID 83701
Anonymity: Yes

Illinois
(Chicago & Northern Illinois) Mary T. Robinson Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission One Prudential Plaza, Suites 1100 and 1500 130 East Randolph Drive Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 565-2600 Fax: (312) 565-2320
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No
(Central & Southern Illinois) Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission One Old North Capital Plaza Springfield, IL 62701-1501
Phone: N/A Fax: N/A
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No

Indiana
Donald R. Lundberg Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission 150 West Market Street, Room 628 Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: (317) 232-1807 Fax: (317) 233-0261
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: No

Iowa
Norman G. Bastemeyer Iowa State Bar Association Committee on Professional Ethics and Conduct 521 East Locust Street Des Moines, IA 50309-1911
Phone: (515) 243-0027 Fax: (515) 243-2511
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: No

Kansas
Acting Disciplinary Administrator Supreme Court of Kansas 3706 South Topeka Avenue, Suite 100 Topeka, KS 66609-1239
Phone: (913) 296-2486 Fax: (913) 296-6049
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No

Kentucky
Barbara S. Rea Kentucky Bar Association Kentucky Bar Center 514 West Main Street Frankfort, KY 40601-1883
Phone: (502) 564-3795 Fax: (502) 564-3225
Filing Method: N/A
Anonymity: N/A

Louisiana
Charles B. Plattsmier Louisiana State Bar Association Office of the Disciplinary Counsel 4000 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Suite 607 Baton Rouge, LA 70816
Phone: (504) 293-3900 Fax: (504) 293-3300
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No

Maine
J. Scott Davis Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar 97 Winthrop Street Augusta, ME 04332
Phone: (207) 623-1121 Fax: (207) 623-4175
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: Yes

Maryland
Melvin Hirshman Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland 100 Community Place, Suite 3301 Crownsville, MD 21032-2027
Phone: (410) 514-7051 Fax: (410) 987-4690
Filing Method: Call for form or submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: Yes

Massachusetts
Arnold Rosenfeld Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers Office of the Bar Counsel 75 Federal Street, 7th Floor Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 357-1860 Fax: (617) 357-1872
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: Yes

Michigan
Philip J. Thomas Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission Marquette Building, Suite 256 243 West Congress Detroit, MI 48226
Phone: (313) 961-6585 Fax: (313) 961-5819
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: No

Minnesota
Edward J. Cleary Minnesota Office of Professional Responsibility 25 Constitution Avenue, Suite 105 St. Paul, MN 55155-1500
Phone: (612) 296-3952; out-of-state (800) 657-3601 Fax: (612) 297-5801
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: No

Mississippi
Michael B. Martz Mississippi State Bar 643 North State Street P.O. Box 2168 Jackson, MS 39225-2168
Phone: (601) 948-4471 Fax: (601) 355-8635
Filing Method: N/A
Anonymity: N/A

Missouri
John E. Howe Missouri Supreme Court Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel 3335 America Avenue Jefferson City, MO 65109
Phone: (573) 635-7400 Fax: (314) 635-2240
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: Yes

Montana
Betsy Brandborg State Bar of Montana P.O. Box 577 Helena, MT 59624
Phone: (406) 442-7660 Fax: (406) 442-7763
Filing Method: Call for form and information: (406) 444-2608
Anonymity: No

Nebraska
Dennis G. Carlson Nebraska State Bar Association P.O. Box 81809 Lincoln, NE 68501
Phone: (402) 475-7091 Fax: (402) 475-7098
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No

Nevada
Rob Bare State Bar of Nevada 201 Las Vegas Blvd., Suite 200 Las Vegas, NV 89101
Phone: (702) 382-2200 Fax: (702) 385-2878
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No

New Hampshire
James L. DeHart New Hampshire Supreme Court Professional Conduct Committee 4 Park Street, Suite 304 Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 224-5828 Fax: (603) 224-5828
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No

New Jersey
David E. Johnson Jr. Supreme Court of New Jersey Office of Attorney Ethics RJ Hughes Justice Complex, CN-963 25 West Market Street Trenton, NJ 08625
Phone: (609) 530-4008 Fax: (609) 530-5238
Filing Method: Contact them to find the secretary in the county of the lawyer in question
Anonymity: No

New Mexico
Virginia L. Ferrara Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of New Mexico 400 Gold SW, Suite 1100 Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: (505) 842-5781 Fax: (505) 766-6833
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: N/A

New York
New York City-1st Dept. Manhattan & Bronx Hal R. Lieberman First Judicial Department Departmental Disciplinary Committee 41 Madison Avenue, 39th Floor New York, NY 10010
Phone: (212) 401-0800 Fax: (212) 545-8981
Filing Method: Call for form or submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: N/A
New York City-2nd Dept. Robert H. Straus Second Judicial Department 2nd & 11rh Judicial District Grievance Committees Municipal Building – 12th Floor 210 Joralemon Street Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 624-7851 Fax: (718) 543-9828
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: No
New York State-2nd Dept. Gary L. Casella Second Judicial Department 9th Judicial District Grievance Committee Crosswest Office Center, Suite 200 399 Knollwood Road White Plains, NY 10603
Phone: (914) 949-4540 Fax: (914) 949-0997
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: No
New York State-2nd Dept. Duchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, West Chester Frank A. Finnerty, Jr. Second Judicial Department 10th Judicial District Grievance Committee 6900 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 102LL Syosset, NY 11791
Phone: (516) 364-7344 Fax: (516) 364-7355
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: No
New York State-3rd Dept. 28 Counties in New York State Mark S. Ochs Chief Attorney Third Judicial Department Committee on Professional Standards Alfred E. Smith Office Building, 22nd Floor P.O. Box 7013 Capitol Station Annex Albany, NY 12225-0013
Phone: (518) 474-8816 Fax: (518) 474-0389
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: No
New York State-4th Dept. 5th District Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties Gerard M. LaRusso, Chief Counsel Anthony J. Gigliotti, Principal Counsel Fourth Judicial Department 5th District Grievance Committee 465 South Salina Street, Suite 106 Syracuse, NY 13202
Phone: (315) 471-1835 Fax: (315) 479-0123
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No
New York State-4th Dept 7th District Cayuga, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, and Yates Counties Gerard M. LaRusso, Chief Counsel Daniel A. Drake, Principal Counsel Fourth Judicial Department 7th District Grievance Committee 42 East Avenue, Suite 404 Rochester, NY 14604-2206
Phone: (716) 546-8340 Fax: (716) 546-6676
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No
New York State-4th Dept. 8th District Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties Gerard M. LaRusso, Chief Counsel Vincent L. Scarsella, Principal Counsel Fourth Judicial Department 8th District Grievance Committee 295 Main St., Room 1036 Buffalo, NY 14203-2560
Phone: (716) 858-1190 Fax: (716) 856-2701
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No

North Carolina
Carolin D. Bakewell A. Root Edmonson, Deputy Counsel North Carolina State Bar 208 Fayetteville St. Mall P.O. Box 25908 Raleigh, NC 27611
Phone: (919) 828-4620 Fax: (919) 821-9168
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: No

North Dakota
Vivian E. Berg Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of North Dakota P.O. Box 2297 Bismarck, ND 58502
Phone: (701) 328-3925 Fax: (701) 328-3964
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter to: Penny Miller, Secretary; Judicial Wing, 1st Floor; 600 E. Bulevard Avenue; Bismark, ND 58505-0530
Anonymity: No

Ohio Geoffery Stern Office of the Disciplinary Counsel of the Supreme Court of Ohio 175 South 3rd St., Suite 280 Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 461-0256 Fax: (614) 461-7205
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: Yes
In Akron – Summit County only Susan Lengal Akron Bar Association 90 South High Street Akron, OH 44308
Phone: (330) 253-5007; (330) 253-5687 Fax: (330) 253-2140
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: Yes
In Cincinnati – Hamilton County Edwin W. Patterson III Cincinnati Bar Association 35 East 7th Street, Suite 800 Cincinnati, OH 45202-2411
Phone: (513) 381-8213 Fax: (513) 381-0528
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: Yes
In Cleveland – Cuyahoga County Mary L. Cibella Cleveland Bar Association 113 St. Clair Avenue, NE, 2nd Floor Cleveland, OH 44114-1253
Phone: (216) 696-3525 Fax: (216) 696-2413
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: Yes
In Columbus – Franklin County Bruce A. Campbell Columbus Bar Association 175. S. Third Street Columbus, OH 43215-5193
Phone: (614) 221-0754 Fax: (614) 221-4850
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: Yes
In Dayton – Montgomery County Johathan Hollingsworth Dayton Bar Association 600 One First National Plaza Dayton, OH 45402-1501
Phone: (513) 222-7902 Fax: (513) 222-1308
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: Yes
In Toledo – Lucas County Susan Martin The Toledo Bar Association 311 N. Superior Street Toledo, OH 43604
Phone: (419) 242-9363 Fax: (419) 242-3614
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: Yes

Oklahoma
Dan Murdock Oklahoma State Bar Association 1901 North Lincoln Boulevard P.O. Box 53036 Oklahoma City, OK 73152
Phone: (405) 524-2365 Fax: (405) 524-9932
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No

Oregon
Jeffery D. Sapiro Oregon State Bar P.O. Box 1689 5200 SW Meadows Road Lake Oswego, OR 97035-0889
Phone: (503) 620-0222 Fax: (503) 684-1366
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: N/A

Pennsylvania
John L. Doherty Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Union Trust Building, Suite 400 501 Grant Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 565-3173 Fax: (412) 565-7620
Filing Method: Call for form or submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: Yes if complaint is from another attorney or Judge, otherwise No

Rhode Island
David D. Curtin Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island Fogarty Judicial Annex 24 Weybosset Street Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 222-3270 Fax: (401) 222-1191
Filing Method: Call for form or submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No

South Carolina
Henry B. Richardson, Jr. South Carolina Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline P.O. Box 11330 Columbia, SC 29211
Phone: (803) 734-2038 Fax: N/A
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: Yes

South Dakota
Lawrence J. Zastrow State Bar of South Dakota 222 E. Capitol Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: (605) 224-7554 Fax: (605) 224-0282
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No

Tennessee
Lance B. Bracy Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee The Oaks Tower, Suite 730 1101 Kermit Drive Nashville, TN 37217
Phone: (615) 361-7500 Fax: (615) 367-2480
Filing Method: Call for form or submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No

Texas
Steve Young State Bar of Texas P.O. Box 12487 Austin, TX 78711-2487
Phone: (800) 204-2222 or (512) 463-1463 Fax: (512) 477-4607
Filing Method: Call for form or submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: Yes

Utah
Acting Chief Disciplinary Counsel Utah State Bar 645 South 200 East Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Phone: (801) 531-9110 Fax: (801) 531-9912
Filing Method: Call the Consumer Assistance Hotline: (801) 297-7056
Anonymity: Yes

Vermont
Shelly A. Hill Vermont Professional Conduct Board Office of Bar Counsel P.O. Box 425 White River Junction, VT 05001
Phone: (802) 295-4106 Fax: (802) 295-4107
Filing Method: N/A
Anonymity: Yes

Virginia
Michael L. Rigsby Virginia State Bar Eighth and Main Building 707 East Main Street, Suite 1500 Richmond, VA 23219-2803
Phone: (804) 775-0500 Fax: (804) 775-0501
Filing Method: Call for form or submit detailed letter
Anonymity: Yes

Washington
Barrie Althoff Washington State Bar Association 2101 Fourth Avenue – 4th Floor Seattle, WA 98121-2230
Phone: (206) 727-8255 Fax: (206) 727-8320 URL: http://www.usba.org
Filing Method: Call for form or obtain form from web-site
Anonymity: Yes

West Virginia
Sherri D. Goodman Chief Disciplinary Counsel Office of Disciplinary Counsel 900 Lee St. East, Suite 1710 Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: (304) 558-7999 Fax: (304) 558-4015
Filing Method: Call for form
Anonymity: No

Wisconsin
Gerald C. Sternberg Administrator Wisconsin Board of Attorneys Professional Responsibility Madison Office, Suite 410, Tenney Building 110 East Main Street Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 267-7274 Fax: (608) 267-0911
Filing Method: Call for form or submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: Yes

Wyoming
Randal R. Arp, Bar Counsel Wyoming State Bar P.O. Box 109 Cheyenne, WY 82003-0109
Phone: (307) 632-9061 Fax: (307) 632-3737
Filing Method: Submit a detailed letter
Anonymity: No

Alabama	Louisiana	Ohio
Alaska	Maine	Oklahoma
Arizona	Maryland	Oregon
Arkansas	Massachusetts	Pennsylvania
California	Michigan	Rhode Island
Colorado	Minnesota	South Carolina
Connecticut	Mississippi	South Dakota
Delaware	Missouri	Tennessee
Florida	Montana	Texas
Georgia	Nebraska	Utah
Hawaii	Nevada	Vermont
Idaho	New Hampshire	Virginia
Illinois	New Jersey	Washington
Indiana	New Mexico	West Virginia
Iowa	New York	Wisconsin
Kansas	North Carolina	Wyoming
Kentucky	North Dakota	District of Columbia

Alabama
Alabama State Bar (ASB) Office of General Counsel
415 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone: (334) 269-1515
https://www.alabar.org/resources/office-of-general-counsel/

Alaska
Alaska Bar Association
P.O. Box 100279
Anchorage, AK 99510-0279
Phone: (907) 272-7469
https://www.alaskabar.org/servlet/content/complaints_against_a.html

Arizona
State Bar of Arizona
4201 N. 24th Street, Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85016
Phone: (602) 252-4804
http://www.azbar.org/lawyerregulation/clientcomplaints/attorneyconsumerassistanceprogram

Arkansas
Supreme Court of Arkansas
Office of Professional Conduct
2100 Riverfront Drive, Suite 200
Little Rock, AR 72202
Phone: (501) 376-0313
https://courts.arkansas.gov/administration/professional-conduct

California
State Bar of California
Office of Chief Trial Counsel
845 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: (800) 843-9053
http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Attorneys/LawyerRegulation/FilingaComplaint.aspx

Colorado
Colorado Supreme Court
Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel
1300 Broadway, Suite 500
1560 Broadway, Suite 1800
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: (303) 457-5800
http://www.coloradosupremecourt.us/Complaints/Complaints_Disc.asp

Connecticut
Statewide Grievance Committee
287 Main Street, Second Floor, Suite 2
East Hartford, CT 06118-1885
Phone: (860) 568-5157
https://www.jud.ct.gov/sgc/for_public.htm

Delaware
Delaware office of Disciplinary Counsel
The Renaissance Centre
405 North King Street, Suite 420
Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: (302) 651-3931
http://courts.delaware.gov/odc/lawyer.aspx

Florida
The Florida Bar
Attorney Consumer Assistance Program
651 E. Jefferson Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300
Phone: (866) 352-0707
http://www.floridabar.org/tfb/TFBConsum.nsf/0A92A6DC28E76AE58525700A005D0D53/37E34BBB81F1EE4E85256C0D00703FF4

Hawaii
Office of Disciplinary Counsel
201 Merchant Street, Suite 1600
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 521-4591
http://www.odchawaii.com/HOW_TO_FILE_A_COMPLAINT.html

Idaho
Idaho State Bar
Office of Bar Counsel
P.O. Box 895
Boise, Idaho 83701
Phone: (208) 334-4500
https://isb.idaho.gov/bar_counsel/complaints.html

Illinois
Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission
(Chicago & Northern Illinois)
130 East Randolph Drive, Suite 1500
Chicago, IL 60601-6219
Phone: (312) 565-2600
(Central & Southern Illinois)
3161 W. White Oaks Dr., Ste. 301
Springfield, IL 62704
Phone: (217) 546-3523
https://www.iardc.org/howtorequest.html

Indiana
Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission
30 South Meridian Street, Suite 850
Indianapolis, IN 46204-3520
Phone: (317) 232-1807
http://www.in.gov/judiciary/discipline/2373.htm

Iowa
Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board
Iowa Judicial Branch Building
1111 East Court Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Phone: (515) 725-8017
http://www.iowacourts.gov/For_Attorneys/Attorney_Standards__Discipline/Disciplinary_Procedures/

Kansas
Office of the Disciplinary Administrator
701 Jackson Street, 1st Floor
Topeka, Kansas 66603-3729
Phone: (785) 296-2486
http://www.kscourts.org/rules-procedures-forms/attorney-discipline/complaints.asp

Kentucky
Kentucky Bar Association
Office of Bar Counsel
514 West Main Street
Frankfort, KY 40601-1812
Phone: (502) 564-3795
https://www.kybar.org/page/attdis

Louisiana
Louisiana State Bar Association
Office of the Disciplinary Counsel
4000 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Suite 607
Baton Rouge, LA 70816-4388
Phone: (504) 293-3900
https://www.lsba.org/Public/complaints.aspx

Maine
Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar
97 Winthrop Street
P. O. Box 527
Augusta, ME 04332-0527
Phone: (207) 623-1121
http://mebaroverseers.org/complaint/index.html

Maryland
Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland
Office of Bar Counsel
200 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Suite 300
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: (410) 514-7051
http://www.courts.state.md.us/attygrievance/complaint.html

Massachusetts
Office of the Bar Counsel
99 High Street
Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 728-8750
http://www.mass.gov/obcbbo/complaint.htm

Michigan
Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission
535 Griswold, Suite 1700
Detroit, MI 48226
Phone: (313) 961-6585
http://www.agcmi.org/investigation/how_to_file_a_request_for_investigation.php#.WKXglW8rKpp

Minnesota
Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility
1500 Landmark Towers
345 St. Peter Street
St. Paul, MN 55102-1218
Phone: (651) 296-3952
http://lprb.mncourts.gov/complaints/Pages/default.aspx

Mississippi
Mississippi State Bar
643 North State Street
P.O. Box 2168
Jackson, MS 39225-2168
Phone: (601) 948-2344
https://www.msbar.org/ethics-discipline/consumer-assistance-program/frequently-asked-questions.aspx

Missouri
Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel
3327 America Avenue
Jefferson City, MO 65109-1079
Phone: (573) 635-7400
http://www.mochiefcounsel.org/

Montana
State Bar of Montana
Office of Disciplinary Counsel
P.O. Box 1099
Helena, MT 59624-1099
Phone: (406) 442-1648
http://www.montanaodc.org/

Nebraska
Nebraska Judicial Branch
Counsel for Discipline
3808 Normal Blvd.
Lincoln, NE 68506
Phone: (402) 471-1040
https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/4571/how-file-grievance-against-attorney

Nevada
State Bar of Nevada
Office of Bar Counsel
3100 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 100
Las Vegas, NV 89102
Phone: (702) 382-2200
https://www.nvbar.org/member-services-3895/ethics-discipline/complaint/

New Hampshire
Supreme Court Attorney Discipline Office
4 Chenell Drive, Suite 102
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 224-5828
https://www.nhbar.org/for-the-public/dispute.asp

New Jersey
Office of Attorney Ethics
P.O. Box 963
840 Bear Tavern Road
Trenton, NJ 08625
Phone: (609) 530-4008
http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/oae/index.html

New Mexico
New Mexico Disciplinary Board
20 First Plaza NW, Suite 710
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: (505) 842-5781
https://www.nmdisboard.org/

New York
(Manhattan/Bronx)
Departmental Disciplinary Committee
Supreme Court, Appellate Division
First Judicial Department
61 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10006
Phone: (212) 401-0800
(Brooklyn/Queens/Staten Island)
Grievance Committee for the 2nd and 11th Judicial Districts
Renaissance Plaza
335 Adams Street, Suite 2400
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 923-6300
http://www.nycbar.org/for-the-public/about-lawyers-and-judges/complaints-about-lawyers-and-judges-how

North Carolina
Grievance Committee
North Carolina State Bar
P.O. Box 25908
Raleigh, NC 27611
Phone: (919) 828‐4620
http://www.ncbar.gov/public/filing.asp

North Dakota
Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of North Dakota
600 East Boulevard Avenue, Dept. 180
Bismarck, ND 58505-0530
Phone: (701) 328-2221
https://www.ndcourts.gov/court/Committees/disc_brd/information.htm

Ohio
Office of Disciplinary Counsel
Supreme Court of Ohio
250 Civic Center Drive, Ste. 325
Columbus, OH 43215-7411
Phone: (614) 461-0256
http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/DisciplinarySys/odc/complaint.asp

Oklahoma
Office of the General Counsel
Oklahoma Bar Association
P.O. Box 53036
Oklahoma City, OK 73152
Phone: (405) 416-7007
http://www.okbar.org/public/Complaint.aspx

Oregon
Client Assistance Office
Oregon State Bar
16037 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road
P.O. Box 231935
Tigard, Oregon 97281-1935
http://www.osbar.org/secured/cao_attorneycomplaints.asp

Pennsylvania
Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
1601 Market Street
Suite 3320
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2337
Phone: 215-560-6296
(For complaints outside of Philadelphia, see the Disciplinary Board’s list of district offices.)
http://www.padisciplinaryboard.org/consumers/complaint-forms/

Rhode Island
Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island
Fogarty Judicial Annex
24 Weybosset Street, 2^nd Floor
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 222-3270
https://www.courts.ri.gov/PublicResources/disciplinaryboard/Pages/default.aspx

South Carolina
South Carolina Commission on Lawyer Conduct
1220 Senate Street, Suite 305
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
Phone: (803) 734-2037
http://www.judicial.state.sc.us/discCounsel/howToFile.cfm

South Dakota
Disciplinary Board
State Bar of South Dakota
222 E. Capitol
Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: (605) 224-7554
http://www.statebarofsouthdakota.com/p/cm/ld/fid=45

Tennessee
Board of Professional Responsibility
10 Cadillac Drive, Suite 220
Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: (615) 361-7500
http://www.tbpr.org/for-the-public/file-complaint

Texas
State Bar of Texas
Chief Disciplinary Counsel’s Office
P.O. Box 13287
Austin, TX 78711
Phone: (800) 932-1900
https://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=File_a_Grievance&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=29656

Utah
Utah State Bar
Office of Professional Conduct
645 South 200 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Phone: (801) 531-9110
http://www.utahbar.org/cap-request-form/

Vermont
Michael Kennedy
Vermont Professional Conduct Board
Office of Bar Counsel
Professional Responsibility Program
Costello Courthouse
32 Cherry Street, Suite 213
Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: (802) 859-3000
https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/LC/attydiscipline.aspx

Virginia
Virginia State Bar
Intake Office
1111 East Main Street, Suite 700
Richmond, Virginia 23219-3565
Phone: (804) 775-0570
https://www.vsb.org/site/regulation/inquiry

Washington
Office of Disciplinary Counsel
Washington State Bar Association
1325 Fourth Ave, Suite 600
Seattle, WA 98101-2539
Phone: (206) 727-8207
http://www.wsba.org/Licensing-and-Lawyer-Conduct/Discipline/File-a-Complaint-Against-a-Lawyer

West Virginia
Lawyer Disciplinary Board
City Center East, Suite 1200
4700 MacCorkle Avenue SE
Charleston, WV 25304
Phone: (304) 558-7999
http://www.wvbar.org/public-information/lawyer-disciplinary-board-faq/

Wisconsin
Office of Lawyer Regulation
110 East Main Street, Suite 315
Madison, WI 53703-3383
Phone: (608) 267-7274
https://www.wicourts.gov/services/public/lawyerreg/file.htm

Wyoming
Office of Bar Counsel
Wyoming State Bar
P.O. Box 109
500 Randall Ave
Cheyenne, WY 82003-0109
Phone: (307) 432-2104
https://www.wyomingbar.org/for-the-public/attorney-compliants/complain-about-a-lawyers-conduct/

District of Columbia
Office of Disciplinary Counsel
The Board on Professional Responsibility
515 5th Street, NW
Building A, Room 117
Washington, D.C. 20001
Phone: (202) 638-1501
https://www.dcbar.org/attorney-discipline/for-the-public/file-an-attorney-complaint.cfm

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