Disciplinary Office List by State

Allowing a genuinely unethical attorney to practice harms everyone, including the Justice system itself. If you have proof that an attorney violated his or her ethical obligations, consider filing a formal complaint. 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.

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

(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

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

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