OVERVIEW
The Attorney Discipline Unit is responsible for the processing and adjudication of formal complaints of attorney misconduct filed by the State Bar of Arizona. The Attorney Discipline Unit serves a unique and vital role in Arizona's attorney discipline system as it acts as both the clerk of the court and the court administrator for the process.
The Unit is responsible for scheduling all hearings before hearing officers, sessions of the Disciplinary Commission, overseeing the adjudication of formal complaints through final disposition, providing support and training for hearing officers and Disciplinary Commission members, and processing all requests for reinstatement, transfers to disability inactive status, reciprocal discipline from other states, certificates of good standing, and discipline checks of judicial candidates.
The purpose of attorney discipline is to protect the public and the administration of justice from attorneys who have not discharged their professional duties to clients, the public, the legal system, and the legal profession. The professional conduct of attorneys and the discipline process is governed by Rules 41-74, Arizona Rules of the Supreme Court.
The Attorney Discipline Unit is managed by the Disciplinary Clerk, the individual designated as the custodian of the record in all discipline, disability, and reinstatement proceedings. The Disciplinary Clerk is charged with maintaining the records of these proceedings according to the common practice of clerks of court.
REPORTING ATTORNEY MISCONDUCT
To report attorney misconduct you must contact the State Bar of Arizona. Once a report of attorney misconduct is received, the State Bar of Arizona will make a determination if the conduct warrants the filing of a formal complaint. All formal complaints of misconduct are filed by the State Bar of Arizona with the Disciplinary Clerk.
FILINGS
Formal discipline proceedings are initiated by the State Bar upon filing of a complaint or agreement for discipline by consent with the Disciplinary Clerk and service upon the Respondent. See Rule 57, Arizona Rules of Supreme Court.
Only original documents must be filed with the Disciplinary Clerk at the address listed below. Documents may be mailed or hand-delivered.
New complaints or filings in matters set before a Hearing Officer should be captioned:
BEFORE A HEARING OFFICER OF THE SUPREME COURT OF ARIZONA;
Filings in matters pending before the Disciplinary Commission should be captioned:
BEFORE THE DISCIPLINARY COMMISSION OF THE SUPREME COURT OF ARIZONA;
Petitions for review are filed with the Disciplinary Clerk, but are captioned:
BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT OF ARIZONA.
All documents filed with the Disciplinary Clerk shall be served upon the parties and the assigned Hearing Officer. See Rule 47(c), Arizona Rules of Supreme Court.
Copies of documents filed with the Clerk of the Supreme Court, in attorney discipline matters, shall be sent to the Disciplinary Clerk.
RECORDS
Records of formal disciplinary proceedings are public and are available for viewing at the offices of the Attorney Discipline Unit. To view files, please call the Attorney Discipline Unit at (602) 452-3355 to schedule an appointment.
Copies of documents are $.50 per page, plus postage if applicable.
LINKS
To view the current schedule of hearings set before Hearing Officers, click here.
To view the agenda for the next Disciplinary Commission session, click here.
To learn more about Hearing Officers, click here.
To learn more about the Disciplinary Commission, click here.
To see recent reports filed by Hearing Officers and the Disciplinary Commission, click here.
To access the Disciplinary Cases Matrix of past disciplinary decisions, click here.
To find out more information about the State Bar of Arizona's role in the attorney discipline process, click here.
To learn how to file an application for reinstatement, click here.
To obtain a Certificate of Good Standing or want to see the disciplinary history of a member of the State Bar of Arizona, click here.
For more information please contact:
Attorney Discipline Unit
Supreme Court of Arizona
Certification & Licensing Division
1501 West Washington, Suite 104
Phoenix, AZ 85007-3231
(602) 452-3378