how to complain about a lawyer in ramsey county

by Zora Hoppe 9 min read

If you have a complaint against an attorney, you may contact the Attorney Disciplinary / Grievance Committee. The office you need to contact depends upon the location of your lawyer's office. Please note that the New York State Unified Court System does not have jurisdiction to investigate complaints concerning representation by attorneys.

Full Answer

What kind of legal help is available in Ramsey County?

Visit or call the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Unit. Complaints may be made in person at the Internal Affairs Unit, located at the Law Enforcement Center (425 Grove Street, Saint Paul). The Law Enforcement Center is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (excluding holidays).

How do I file a complaint against an attorney?

It is a free service provided by the bar association. In order to use this service, your attorney must agree to participate and the attorney’s office must be located in Ramsey County. Get started: Rules & Procedures Petition  Contact Staff For additional information, call 651-222-0846.

How does the State Bar Review a complaint?

Attorney / Client Disputes. If you have a complaint against an attorney, you may contact the Attorney Disciplinary / Grievance Committee. The office you need to contact depends upon the location of your lawyer's office. Please note that the New York State Unified Court System does not have jurisdiction to investigate complaints concerning representation by attorneys.

Do you qualify for expungement in Ramsey County?

County Attorney's Office News. 09/08/21. Press conference regarding non-public-safety traffic stops. 05/20/21. Press conference regarding Nicholas Firkus homicide charges. 04/17/20. Press conference regarding centralized storage for sexual assault kits. 10/03/19.

image

Ethics

If you believe a lawyer has violated any of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Responsibility and you want to know whether you should file a complaint and how to file a complaint, contact the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility .

Fee Arbitration

Fee Arbitration is a relatively fast and simple way to resolve a fee dispute with an attorney. It is a free service provided by the bar association. In order to use this service, your attorney must agree to participate and the attorney’s office must be located in Ramsey County.

John J. Choi

Learn about the leader of the first prosecution office in the state of Minnesota.

Resources for Crime Victims

Know your rights, find resources and learn how we support victims throughout the court process.

Community Initiatives

Read about our innovative initiatives to improve the criminal justice system.

Divisions

Find out about the divisions and units that make up the County Attorney's Office.

News & Updates

Request information from our office about pending cases or prosecution results.

Operations During COVID-19 Emergency

The Washington State Bar Association's physical office is closed to the public. The Office of Disciplinary Counsel is continuing its work through online communications. Please communicate with us by sending messages and required information to the email address of the assigned disciplinary counsel on the matter.

Resolve a Dispute with Your Lawyer Instead of Filing a Complaint

To ask for our help to reestablish communication, request your client file, or request a billing statement, complete the Request for Assistance Form.

File a Complaint Against a Lawyer

To file a complaint against a lawyer, read Lawyer Discipline in Washington, review the materials below and either complete the E-Grievance Form online or print and mail the Grievance Form to our office.

What happens if a complaint is found to be true?

If the complaint is found to be true, the disciplinary board can fine the attorney, force the attorney to attend classes or perform community service, or take away the attorney's license. The disciplinary board typically does not give the person who complained about the attorney any money.

What is disciplinary action for an attorney?

For attorneys, a disciplinary action is very serious as it can directly affect their ability to earn a living. It may be best to first try and resolve any dispute you have with the attorney on your own.

What is the disciplinary board?

In many states, a division of the courts handles these complaints. This is typically referred to as the disciplinary board. Some states rely on their state bar associations to discipline their attorneys. You can find out where to send attorney complaints by looking at your state court system's website.

Legal assistance, resources & information for Ramsey County

Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services#N#1-888-575-2954#N#Free legal help to low-income and senior citizen clients for civil (non-criminal) legal problems including family law, government benefits, housing, probate, tax, and other matters.

Children & Youth

YouthLink#N#(612) 252-1200#N#41 N. 12th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55403#N#Free clinic for low-income youth (ages 16-24) with legal problems (family, immigration, employment, public benefits, criminal, and housing). Also offers a drop-in center.

Criminal

Public Defender - Second Judicial District#N#(651) 352-2500 (Main) or (651) 266-1991 (Maplewood)#N#Second District Office: 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 2000, St.

Disability & Health

Minnesota Disability Law Center#N#1-800-292-4150 or (612) 332-4668 (TDD)#N#Free civil (non-criminal) legal assistance to individuals with disabilities statewide on legal issues related to their disabilities.

Domestic Abuse

Bridges to Safety#N#(651) 266-9901 or After Hours: (651) 645-2824#N#St. Paul City Hall, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd., Room 140, St. Paul, MN 55102#N#Support services and legal consultation for victims of domestic violence in Ramsey County.

Family

Ramsey County Family Court Legal Clinic#N#(651) 266-5125#N#Juvenile & Family Justice Center, 25 W. 7th Street, St. Paul, MN 55102#N#Free legal advice from volunteer attorneys to assist those representing themselves in family court.

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender

Outfront Minnesota (GLBT Youth)#N#(612) 822-0127 or 1-800-800-0350#N#310 E. 38th St., Suite 209, Minneapolis, MN 55409#N#Provides advocacy, assistance, and referrals to help guide youth through the legal process.

Your Complaint Must Be in Writing

1. Submit your misconduct complaint via the online form * (preferred); or

Should you make a complaint?

Complaints should not be made lightly or to try to gain an advantage in your dealings with a lawyer. Filing a complaint should not take the place of communicating with the lawyer to resolve differences.

What the disciplinary process cannot do

The VSB recognizes that people have many kinds of dealings with lawyers, but not all those situations are subject to review through the VSB’s disciplinary process.

For example, the VSB will not open disciplinary cases on

Complaints about a lawyer’s fee.#N#If you cannot resolve a fee dispute with your lawyer and wish to receive information about fee dispute resolution, you may want to contact the Virginia State Bar's Fee Dispute Coordinator.

Some complaints are opened to gather more information

If your complaint does state a situation in which an ethics rule might have been violated, you and the lawyer about whom you complained will be notified that we have opened an active complaint file.

Confidentiality

The Supreme Court of Virginia has adopted rules requiring that the disciplinary process be confidential unless the lawyer receives public discipline (admonition, public reprimand, suspension or revocation) or a matter is scheduled on the VSB’s public hearing docket maintained by the Clerk of the Disciplinary System.

image