Complaints About Lawyers & Judges – How To File A Complaint Against A Lawyer or Judge in NY
The New York City Bar Association is a voluntary bar association and is not involved in the licensing or disciplining of lawyers. These matters are handled by New York’s court system.
If you believe a lawyer may have violated the Rules of Professional Conduct, you can write a letter to the appropriate Attorney Grievance Committee or fill out and submit a form available from their websites.
The form or letter should be as clear, specific and detailed as possible when explaining your complaint. The materials in your complaint should include the names, phone numbers and addresses of you and your attorney as well as copies of any pertinent documents, papers, and other information connected to the complaint. After a complaint is filed, it may be updated with new evidence. If new evidence becomes available after a complaint is dismissed, the complainant may ask that the complaint be re-evaluated.
If the lawyer’s office is located in Manhattan or The Bronx, a complainant should contact:
Attorney Grievance Committee
Supreme Court, Appellate Division
First Judicial Department
180 Maiden Lane
17th Floor
New York, New York 10038
(212) 401-0800, fax: (212) 401-0810
The Committee’s complaint form can be found here.
If your lawyer’s office is located in Brooklyn, Queens or Staten Island, the appropriate committee is:
Attorney Grievance Committee for the
Second, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts (Kings, Queens, and Richmond Counties)
Renaissance Plaza
335 Adams Street Suite 2400
Brooklyn, New York 11201
(718) 923-6300
The Committee’s complaint form can be found here.
For more information about the attorney disciplinary process or how the Committees work, go to their websites: The First Department Attorney Grievance Committee and The Second Department Attorney Grievance Committee.
More information can be found in the following PDF:
How to Complain About Lawyers and Judges in New York City
