South Carolina: Attorney & Judicial Discipline
Who regulates lawyers and judges in South Carolina, how complaints are filed, counted, and adjudicated, and where the complaint and disposition numbers come from.
Attorney discipline
Who regulates lawyers in South Carolina Publishes statistics
Attorney discipline in South Carolina is administered by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel / Commission on Lawyer Conduct, under the ultimate authority of the South Carolina Supreme Court.
About -150.0% of complaints proceed past initial screening (2025); 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 Office of Disciplinary Counsel / Commission on Lawyer Conduct, 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 received/resolved, disbarments, suspensions, public/private reprimands, letters of caution, interim suspensions. Published as: Annual-report PDF; coverage: FY2005-06 to FY2024-25. Dedicated lawyer reports.
How complaints are adjudicated
South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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 | Formal complaints filed | Disbarments | Public suspensions | Public reprimands censures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,350 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1,248 | 8 | 22 | 13 | 18 |
| 2022 | 1,571 | 7 | 10 | 23 | 16 |
| 2023 | 1,836 | — | 15 | 3 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2,055 | — | 7 | 2 | 3 |
| 2025 | 1,798 | 3 | 22 | 17 | 6 |
Judicial discipline
Who regulates judges in South Carolina Publishes statistics
Complaints against South Carolina state judges are handled by the Commission on Judicial Conduct. (Federal judges sitting in South Carolina are covered by the separate federal system.)
How complaints are filed
Complaints about South Carolina judges are filed in writing with the Commission on Judicial Conduct. 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 received/resolved, disposition categories. Published as: Annual-report PDF; coverage: FY2005-06 to FY2023-24. Separate PDFs on same page; page needs JS.
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. South Carolina'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 | Censures reprimands admonishments | Private discipline | Suspensions | Removals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 190 | 1 | 2 | — | — |
| 2021 | 213 | 5 | 10 | — | — |
| 2022 | 286 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 2023 | 432 | 1 | 7 | — | — |
| 2024 | 558 | 3 | 4 | — | — |
| 2025 | 437 | 7 | 13 | — | — |
Sources
Where these numbers come from
- Office of Disciplinary Counsel / Commission on Lawyer Conduct — attorney discipline statistics
- Office of Disciplinary Counsel / Commission on Lawyer Conduct — main site
- Commission on Judicial Conduct — judicial discipline statistics / annual reports
- ABA Survey on Lawyer Discipline Systems (S.O.L.D.)
- NCSC Center for Judicial Ethics — annual state judicial-discipline reviews