New Hampshire: Attorney & Judicial Discipline
Who regulates lawyers and judges in New Hampshire, how complaints are filed, counted, and adjudicated, and where the complaint and disposition numbers come from.
Attorney discipline
Who regulates lawyers in New Hampshire Publishes statistics
Attorney discipline in New Hampshire is administered by the New Hampshire Attorney Discipline System (Supreme Court), under the ultimate authority of the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
About -195.0% of complaints proceed past initial screening (2024); the rest are screened out or dismissed.
How complaints are filed
A complaint (often called a grievance) against a lawyer is filed directly with the New Hampshire Attorney Discipline System (Supreme Court), typically via an online or printable complaint form. Filing is free and no lawyer is needed. The agency screens each filing to confirm it involves an attorney under its jurisdiction and conduct that could violate the rules of professional conduct; filings that survive screening are opened for investigation. The disciplinary process addresses professional misconduct — it cannot overturn a case result or award damages.
How complaints are counted
This state publishes aggregate attorney discipline statistics — grievances filed, screening outcomes, formal charges, suspensions, disbarments. Published as: Annual-report PDF; coverage: 2004–2024. 21 consecutive annual reports.
How complaints are adjudicated
New Hampshire follows the standard three-stage model used across U.S. jurisdictions: disciplinary counsel screens and investigates; where warranted, formal charges are heard by a hearing panel or disciplinary board, which recommends a sanction; and final authority over public discipline — disbarment, suspension, public censure or reprimand — rests with the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Lesser private discipline (admonitions) may issue below the court level and never becomes public. Exact panel composition, deadlines, and appeal rights are set by the jurisdiction's disciplinary rules.
| Year | Complaints received | Publicly disciplined | Investigations opened | Formal complaints filed | Disbarments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 186 | — | — | — | — |
| 2020 | 169 | 9 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | 174 | 7 | — | — | — |
| 2022 | 220 | 7 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 209 | 7 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 237 | — | 30 | 4 | 2 |
Judicial discipline
Who regulates judges in New Hampshire Partial statistics
Complaints against New Hampshire state judges are handled by the New Hampshire Judicial Conduct Committee. (Federal judges sitting in New Hampshire are covered by the separate federal system.)
How complaints are filed
Complaints about New Hampshire judges are filed in writing with the New Hampshire Judicial Conduct Committee. Filing is free and confidential. The commission's jurisdiction covers judicial conduct — bias, demeanor, conflicts, delay, abuse of office — not the legal correctness of rulings, which must be challenged on appeal. Complaints are screened confidentially, and most are dismissed at that stage.
How complaints are counted
Aggregate statistics are only partially published. Available metrics: complaints received, investigation dispositions. Format: Annual-report PDF; coverage: 2023 confirmed. Subpage blank on fetch (browser may be needed).
How complaints are adjudicated
If screening indicates possible misconduct, the commission investigates and may file formal charges heard in a formal proceeding. In most states the commission's role ends in a recommendation, with final public discipline — censure, suspension, or removal — imposed by the state's highest court; in some, the commission itself imposes sanctions subject to review. New Hampshire's exact division of authority is set by its constitution and court rules. Confidential dispositions (private cautions or advisory letters) never become public.
Sources
Where these numbers come from
- New Hampshire Attorney Discipline System (Supreme Court) — attorney discipline statistics
- New Hampshire Attorney Discipline System (Supreme Court) — main site
- New Hampshire Judicial Conduct Committee — judicial discipline statistics / annual reports
- New Hampshire Judicial Conduct Committee — main site
- ABA Survey on Lawyer Discipline Systems (S.O.L.D.)
- NCSC Center for Judicial Ethics — annual state judicial-discipline reviews