If you have complaints about the conduct of a lawyer, even a lawyer for another party in litigation, there is a resolution process. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania oversees the attorney discipline process through the Disciplinary Board, http://www.padisciplinaryboard.org. The Disciplinary Board hears complaints of serious misconduct by lawyers. It can impose private discipline on lawyers, and makes recommendations to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in cases where public discipline may be appropriate.
The Office of Disciplinary Counsel is responsible for receiving and evaluating all complaints about the conduct of lawyers. The Office of Disciplinary Counsel investigates all complaints, and prosecutes those cases where it finds violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct. To file a complaint against a lawyer, download the complaint form. The complaint should go to the District Office where the lawyer practices. You can get that information from the Disciplinary Board's website. The frequently asked questions page provides very helpful information for anyone considering filing a complaint about an attorney.
The Counsel's office will evaluate whether your complaint raises any issues which could form the basis of a disciplinary inquiry. The evaluation may include investigation of court records and interviews of parties. Following the investigation, the complaint may be dismissed (with the agreement of a second counsel), or the lawyer may be put on notice of the complaint and given the opportunity to respond by a formal letter.
If the Counsel's office believes that there are violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct after receiving the lawyer's response and completing the investigation, counsel may submit a recommendation for discipline through a review process established by the Rules of Disciplinary Enforcement. This process may result in dismissal of the complaint; imposition of private discipline on the lawyer; or the filing of a formal disciplinary proceeding, which usually involves a hearing on the case.
