An important step in evaluating whether an attorney is right for you is investigating whether he or she has ever been disciplined.
All states have a disciplinary organization that closely monitors attorneys. If a complaint is made against an attorney, the state's organization will investigate the claim and determine whether or not the attorney has violated any ethical rules. If so, the organization will discipline the attorney as appropriate.
Attorneys can be disciplined for various reasons - from failing to pay their bar dues to misappropriating client funds to gross ethical violations. Some attorneys who have been disciplined are no longer eligible to practice law. You should never hire an attorney who is not currently eligible to practice law in your state.
It is to your benefit to thoroughly research an attorney's disciplinary history. You should take into account any previous discipline taken and the circumstances surrounding the discipline.
The following state links will help you learn whether an attorney is currently eligible to practice law or has been disciplined in the past. If you need additional information regarding an attorney, follow up with the appropriate disciplinary committee.
Alabama Center for Professional Responsibility, Alabama State Bar Alaska Attorney Grievances, Alaska Bar Association Arizona Lawyer Discipline Process, State Bar of Arizona Arkansas Office of the Committee on Professional Conduct, Arkansas Judiciary California Attorney Discipline System, State Bar of California Connecticut Statewide Grievance Committee Colorado Colorado Office of Attorney Regulation Delaware Delaware Office of Disciplinary Counsel DC District of Columbia Office of Bar Counsel Florida Dept. of Lawyer Regulation, The Florida Bar Georgia Georgia's Attorney Discipline Hawaii Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Hawaii Idaho Idaho's Attorney Discipline Illinois Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission Indiana Disciplinary Commission, Indiana Supreme Court Iowa Attorney Disciplinary Board, Iowa Supreme Court Kansas Office of the Disciplinary Administrator, Supreme Court of Kansas Kentucky Office of Bar Counsel, Kentucky Bar Association Louisiana Louisiana Office of the Disciplinary Counsel Maine Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland Massachusetts Massachusetts Office of the Bar Counsel Michigan Michigan Attorney Discipline Board Minnesota Minnesota Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility Mississippi The Disciplinary Process, Mississippi State Bar Missouri Missouri Attorney Discipline System Montana Montana Office of Disciplinary Counsel Nebraska Nebraska Counsel for Discipline Nevada Nevada Office of Bar Counsel New Hampshire Attorney Discipline System, New Hampshire Supreme Court New Jersey Office of Attorney Ethics, Supreme Court of New Jersey New Mexico The Disciplinary Board of the New Mexico Supreme Court New York New York Attorney Grievance Committees North Carolina North Carolina Lawyer Discipline North Dakota Disciplinary Board, Supreme Court of North Dakota Oklahoma Oklahoma Bar Association Attorney Complaints Ohio Office of Disciplinary Counsel, Ohio Supreme Court Oregon Disciplinary Counsel's Office, Oregon State Bar Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Rhode Island Disciplinary Board, Supreme Court of Rhode Island South Carolina South Carolina Office of Disciplinary Counsel South Dakota South Dakota State Bar Disciplinary Board Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, Supreme Court of Tennessee Texas Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel, State Bar of Texas Utah Consumer Assistance Program, Utah State Bar Vermont Professional Responsibility Board, Supreme Court of Vermont Virginia Virginia State Bar Professional Regulation System Washington Office of Disciplinary Counsel, Washington State Bar West Virginia West Virginia Lawyer Disciplinary Board Wisconsin Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation Wyoming Ethical Violations Complaints, Wyoming State Bar