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Reporting a Lawyer for Ethics Violations
By Sachi Barreiro, Attorney, University of San Francisco School of Law
Updated: Jul 23rd, 2020
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
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.
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. For more information on this topic, see our FAQ on legal malpractice.
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.
- Alabama
Alabama State Bar (ASB) Office of General Counsel
415 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone: (334) 269-1515
https://www.alabar.org/office-of-general-counsel/disciplinary-division
- Alaska
Alaska Bar Association
P.O. Box 100279
Anchorage, AK 99510-0279
Phone: (907) 272-7469
https://alaskabar.org/for-the-public/complaints-against-attorneys/
- Arizona
State Bar of Arizona
4201 N. 24th Street, Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85016
Phone: (602) 252-4804
https://www.azbar.org/for-lawyers/ethics/
- 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
https://www.kscourts.org/Attorneys/Office-of-Disciplinary-Administration
- 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
https://www.massbbo.org/Complaints
- Michigan
Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission
535 Griswold, Suite 1700
Detroit, MI 48226
Phone: (313) 961-6585
https://www.agcmi.org/for-the-public/investigation
- 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/administration/professional-ethics/attorney-discipline-ethics/how-file-attorney-grievance
- 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
https://www.njcourts.gov/attorneys/oaehotline.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) 828â€4620
https://www.ncbar.gov/for-the-public/i-am-having-a-dispute-with-a-lawyer/filing-a-grievance/
- 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/supreme-court/committees/disciplinary-board
- 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
https://www.okbar.org/gc/complaint/
- 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, 2nd 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/page/lawyer-discipline
- 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-complaints/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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