LawFund: Attorney Grievance Committees

Attorney Grievance Committees

The authority to regulate and discipline lawyers in New York State is vested in the Appellate Divisions of the New York State Supreme Court. There are four regional Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court. Each of the courts has one or more attorney grievance committees to investigate and prosecute complaints of professional misconduct against lawyers. There are eight attorney grievance committees within the state. Each will accept written complaints of professional misconduct concerning lawyers with offices in their regions.

Grievance committee addresses:

First Judicial Department

For lawyers with offices in the counties of New York and Bronx:

	Departmental Disciplinary Committee
	61 Broadway, 2nd Floor	
	New York, NY 10006
     
	Chief Counsel:  Thomas J. Cahill

	    Telephone:  212/401-0800
          	  Fax:  212/401-0810

Second Judicial Department

For lawyers with offices in the counties of Kings, Richmond, Queens:

	Attorney Grievance Committee
	Renaissance Plaza
	335 Adams Street, Ste. 2400
	Brooklyn, NY 11201

	Chief Counsel:  Diana Maxfield Kearse

	    Telephone:  718/923-6300

For lawyers with offices in the counties of Nassau and Suffolk:

	Attorney Grievance Committee
	150 Motor Parkway #102
	Hauppauge, NY  11788

	Chief Counsel:  Rita Adler

	    Telephone:  631/231-3775
	          Fax:  631/231-4005

For lawyers with offices in the counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester:

	Attorney Grievance Committee
	399 Knollwood Road, Suite 200
	White Plains, NY 10603

	Chief Counsel:  Gary L. Casella

	    Telephone:  914/949-4540	

	For Instructions on how to file a complaint with the Ninth Judicial District 
	click  here.

Third Judicial Department

For lawyers with offices in the counties of Albany, Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Madison, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington:

	Committee on Professional Standards
	40 Steuben Street
	Ste. 502
	Albany, NY 12207-2109
 
 	Chief Counsel:  Mark Ochs

	    Telephone:  518/474-8816
	          Fax:  518/474-0389

Fourth Judicial Department

For lawyers with offices in the counties of Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego:

	Attorney Grievance Committee
	224 Harrison Street, Ste. 408
	Syracuse, NY 13202	

	    Chief Counsel:  David L. Edmunds
	Principal Counsel:  Anthony J. Gigliotti

	        Telephone:  315/471-1835
	              Fax:  315/479-0123

For lawyers with offices in the counties of Cayuga, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Yates:

	Attorney Grievance Committee
	50 East Avenue, Suite 404
	Rochester, NY 14604-2206

	    Chief Counsel:  David L. Edmunds
	Principal Counsel:  Daniel A. Drake

	        Telephone:  585/530-3180
	              Fax:  585/530-3191

For lawyers with offices in the counties of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chatauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming:

	Attorney Grievance Committee
	438 Main Street, Ste. 800
	Buffalo, NY 14202

	    Chief Counsel: David L. Edmunds
	Principal Counsel: Vincent J. Scarsella 

 	        Telephone: 716/845-3630
	              Fax: 716/856-2701