Pennsylvania: Attorney & Judicial Discipline
Who regulates lawyers and judges in Pennsylvania, how complaints are filed, counted, and adjudicated, and where the complaint and disposition numbers come from.
Attorney discipline
Who regulates lawyers in Pennsylvania Publishes statistics
Attorney discipline in Pennsylvania is administered by the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, under the ultimate authority of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
About -258.0% of complaints proceed past initial screening (2018); 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 Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 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 — complaints, investigations, admonitions, public/private reprimands, suspensions, disbarments, reinstatements, registration totals. Published as: Annual-report PDF; coverage: 2016–2025. Exceptionally detailed.
How complaints are adjudicated
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 | Publicly disciplined | Disbarments | Public suspensions | Public reprimands censures | Private reprimands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 211 | 34 | 55 | 20 | 7 |
| 2020 | 148 | 30 | 47 | 14 | 7 |
| 2021 | 132 | 18 | 38 | 11 | 8 |
| 2022 | 139 | 25 | 28 | 21 | 12 |
| 2023 | 137 | 24 | 38 | 12 | 12 |
| 2024 | 123 | 24 | 32 | 21 | 8 |
Judicial discipline
Who regulates judges in Pennsylvania Publishes statistics
Complaints against Pennsylvania state judges are handled by the Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania. (Federal judges sitting in Pennsylvania are covered by the separate federal system.)
How complaints are filed
Complaints about Pennsylvania judges are filed in writing with the Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania. 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
This state publishes aggregate judicial discipline statistics — complaints, investigations, preliminary inquiries, formal charges, censures/suspensions/removals/reprimands. Published as: Annual-report PDF; coverage: 1994–2025. One of the most complete judicial archives nationally.
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. Pennsylvania's exact division of authority is set by its constitution and court rules. Confidential dispositions (private cautions or advisory letters) never become public.
| Year | Complaints received | Formal charges filed | Private discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 793 | — | — |
| 2020 | 702 | 5 | 29 |
| 2022 | 945 | 1 | 51 |
| 2023 | 825 | 2 | 55 |
Sources
Where these numbers come from
- Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania — attorney discipline statistics
- Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania — main site
- Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania — judicial discipline statistics / annual reports
- Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania — main site
- ABA Survey on Lawyer Discipline Systems (S.O.L.D.)
- NCSC Center for Judicial Ethics — annual state judicial-discipline reviews