HOW TO REPORT UNETHICAL LAWYERS AND JUDGES

Unethical lawyers should be reported to the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Committee (ARDC)

ARDC does not accept email complaints or other email communications regarding confidential investigations or proceedings. Web site visitors may contact ARDC by telephone, facsimile or mail at its Chicago or Springfield offices listed below. We recommend submitting your complaints to both the Chicago and Springfield offices.

CHICAGO ARDC OFFICE

One Prudential Plaza
130 East Randolph Drive
Suite 1500
Chicago, IL 60601-6219
(312) 565-2600 or, within
Illinois, (800) 826-8625
Fax (312) 565-2320

SPRINGFIELD ARDC OFFICE

As of October 29, 2012, the new address and telephone/fax numbers for the Springfield ARDC office will be:

3161 West White Oaks Drive, Suite 301

Springfield, IL 62704

Telephone Number: 217/546-3523

Fax Number: 217/546-3785

The 800 number (800-252-8048) will remain the same.

ARDC offices are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

It is a good idea to review the Rules of Professional conduct, so you can speak the the lawyers' violation in your complaint. These rules may be viewed on the website. https://www.iardc.org/index.html

Other helpful links:

To submit a request for investigation: https://www.iardc.org/howtorequest.html

To contact the ARDC: https://www.iardc.org/howtocontact_orginfo.html

HOW TO REPORT JUDGES:

Unethical judges may be reported to the State of Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board.

The contact information for the Judicial Inquiry Board is found below:

100 West Randolph Street
Suite14-500
Chicago, IL 60601
312 814-5554
800 227-9429
TDD 312 814-1881
FAX 312 814-5719
www.state.il.us/jib


The Rules of Judicial Conduct and information regarding the submission and handling of complaints against Illinois Judges can be found on the site above.



DUTY TO REPORT PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT

IL Adv. Op. 91-07 (Ill.St.Bar.Assn.), 1991 WL 735064 (Ill.St.Bar.Assn.)

Illinois State Bar Association

TOPIC: DUTY TO REPORT PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT

*1 ISBA Advisory Opinion on Professional Conduct

Opinion No. 91-07

October 25, 1991

ISBA Advisory Opinions on Professional Conduct are prepared as an educational service to members of the ISBA. While the Opinions express the ISBA interpretation of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct and other relevant materials in response to a specific hypothesized fact situation, they do not have the weight of law and should not be relied upon as a substitute for individual legal advice.

Digest: An attorney retained to investigate a client’s suspicions that the client’s former attorney engaged in fraudulent conduct to the client’s detriment must disclose unprivileged knowledge of violations of Rules 8.4(a)(3) and (4) to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission and must communicate that obligation to the client at the outset of the representation.

            Ref.: Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 8.3(a)

            In re Himmel, 125 Ill.2d 531, 533 N.E.2d 790 (1988)