Full Answer
If you have had a problem or issue with a lawyer in Pennsylvania, you can file a complaint with a district office of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. The board will work with you to resolve the issue. Call the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. The state headquarters' phone number is (717) 231-3380.
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.
The complaint should include: Consumer contact information. Attorney’s contact information. Relevant court case information, if applicable. Any previous complaints the consumer has made against the attorney. The specific facts of the case, including the perceived misconduct and supporting evidence.
Return the completed form by mail to the Professional Compliance Office at: Department of State, Professional Compliance Office, PO Box 69522, 2601 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA 17106-9522. Be sure to include any attachments and supporting documents (legible copies, no originals) that you wish to provide in support of your complaint.
Perhaps the most common kinds of complaints against lawyers involve delay or neglect. This doesn't mean that occasionally you've had to wait for a phone call to be returned. It means there has been a pattern of the lawyer's failing to respond or to take action over a period of months.
The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is dedicated to protecting the public, maintaining the integrity of the legal profession, and safeguarding the reputation of the courts.
Attorney misconduct may include: conflict of interest, overbilling, refusing to represent a client for political or professional motives, false or misleading statements, knowingly accepting worthless lawsuits, hiding evidence, abandoning a client, failing to disclose all relevant facts, arguing a position while ...
You may request a Statement of Complaint Form by mail, by calling the Professional Compliance Office Hotline at 1-800-822-2113 (if you are calling from within Pennsylvania) or at 1-(717) 783-4849 (if you are calling from outside Pennsylvania).
After a complaint is filed, it is reviewed by an attorney general representative who determines whether: The complaint is appropriate for mediation by the office. If it should be referred to another governmental entity that may be more suited to assist with the consumer's complaint. Or both depending on the situation.
Among other things, the Division's attorneys defend the constitutionality of state statutes, represent Commonwealth agencies and employees in civil actions, collect delinquent taxes and other debts owed to the Commonwealth, and review all state contracts and regulations for legality.
What is an ethical violation? In a nutshell, an ethical violation is something that is - spoken, written, actioned - that violates a company's documented code of ethics, mission, vision, values, and culture. We also know that ethical violations laugh in the face of what is considered normal societal behaviour.
Legal malpractice is a type of negligence in which a lawyer does harm to his or her client. Typically, this concerns lawyers acting in their own interests, lawyers breaching their contract with the client, and, one of the most common cases of legal malpractice, is when lawyers fail to act on time for clients.
Lawyer Accountability The legal profession is largely self-regulated, which makes it difficult for bad lawyers to be held accountable to their clients. Lawyers are often exempt from consumer fraud laws and other protections that apply to every other provider of consumer services.
An ethics complaint is a written document filed by the Inspector General with the SEC. This document cites the specific ethics rule which is alleged to have been violated along with the general supporting facts. This is a civil rather than a criminal proceeding.
Ethics Complaint ProceduresNature of the alleged ethical misconduct.Description of the alleged facts and date(s) of the incident(s)Description of any steps already taken to address the misconduct.Name of the person thought to be responsible for the alleged events.Name(s) of any corroborating witnesses.More items...
' 1) Professional incompetence to a degree calculated to damage the public's faith in the ability of judges to make sound, fair and just judgements, and tarnish the reputation of both the judge concerned and the judiciary (I realise, of course, the JCIO wording might not conform to the above wording).