Which do you believe it stands for?
Many of you have filed charges of ethical misconduct against an attorney with the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission ("ARDC"), but have not been successful in having the ARDC file a formal complaint against that attorney.
When you file a charge against an attorney, the ARDC is limited by law to consider only those ethical misconduct charges over which they have been given authority to act. The area of their jurisdiction can be found in the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct.
As the ARDC is there to protect the attorney and not to protect your rights, the ARDC does NOT send a copy of the "Rule Book" unless a person specifically requests one. That is why copies of the "Rule Book" are brought to each of our monthly meetings for members to take with them.
There are over 6000 charges filed each year against attorneys by their clients, yet approximately only 2% of those attorneys are formally charged by the ARDC. Most of the filed charges do not allege a violation of a Rule, or refer to the substance abuse by an attorney which, under Supreme Court Rules, cannot be disclosed to the public.
When you file an ethical misconduct charge against an attorney, phrase your charge against a violation of a specific Rule or Rules that have been violated.
The Inquiry, Hearing, and Review Boards are incestuous. They are either composed of only attorneys or two-thirds attorneys. An attorney on the Board may be an attorney who is secretly involved in the same misconduct that he is hearing - he will certainly not find another attorney in violation of an ethical violation if he is involved in the same misconduct.
If you believe that your charge is a valid charge, have it posted on the Citizens Web-site on the Internet for all to see. Prior to this time, no person saw your charge and the attorney could continue as if no charge had been filed against him, since no current client or potential new client had access to that information.
Under the Rules, the ARDC can not disclose whether a charge of misconduct had been filed against the attorney you were inquiring about. We understand that this restriction applies only to the ARDC and does not apply to anyone else.
As a service to its members, Citizens is available to review
your charge of ethical misconduct against your attorney and make suggestions
before you submit it to the ARDC.
Contact Citizens if you have been represented by, or had any contact with:
Attorney Marshall J. Auerbach Collins & Bargione Attorney Robert K. Blain U.S. Attorney James B. Burns Attorney Stephen J. Connelly Connolly Ekl & Williams, P.C. Attorney Ron Darosa Attorney Michael J. Dioguardi Attorney Gino Divito Attorney Terry A. Ekl Attorney Paul Feinstein Attorney Lawrence Fisher Attorney Allen S. Gabe Attorney Caryl Jacobs Gabe Gabe, Gabe & Associates, P.C. Attorney Mel Gaines Gardner Carton & Douglas Attorney Linda A. Green Attorney Myron E. Greenbaum Greenbaum & Leavitt Attorney Theodora Gordon Attorney Elizabeth A. Granoff Attorney Jay Grodner Attorney Theresa M. Gronkiewicz Attorney Benjamin Hyink Hyink & Scannicchio, Chtd. Attorney Terrence M. Jordan Terrence M. Jordan, P.C. Attorney Glen Kaufman Kaufman, Litwin & Feinstein Attorney Ralla Klepak Attorney Jack Frank Kuhlman Attorney Donna M. Lach Attorney Jeffery M. Leving Attorney Stuart N. Litwin Attorney Scott Roger Marquardt Mel Gaines, Ltd. Attorney James D. Parsons Attorney Aurelia Marie Pucinski Attorney James J. Reagan James J. Reagan, P.C. Attorney Neil A. Robin Attorney Regina Scannicchio Attorney Robert H. Skilton Attorney George J. VanEmden Attorney Patrick J. Williams
Copyright© 1997-2001 by Citizens for Legal Responsibility®. All rights reserved. email: clr@clr.org
Last updated November 28, 2001