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Filing Complaints Against Attorneys

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

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