Discipline on the New York register
What the register records, and where to complain
- Disbarred
- 2,189
- Resigned, disciplinary
- 719
- File of
- Sep 29, 2026
The register cannot say how many New York lawyers are disbarred each year: it records no dates. What it shows is a lawyer’s current value, and on the file of Sep 29, 2026, 2,189 registrations read “Disbarred” and 719 “Resigned for a disciplinary reason”; a disbarred lawyer who dies is later recorded as deceased, so these are lower bounds. Suspensions are counted apart below, by register value: most read “Suspended, delinquent”, a suspension recorded on a registration that is also delinquent, and the register does not say which suspensions were for misconduct.
By judicial department of admission
| Department | Admitted | Disbarred | Per 1,000 | Resigned, disciplinary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | 143,049 | 475 | 3.3 | 145 |
| Second | 146,193 | 1,155 | 7.9 | 458 |
| Third | 119,901 | 383 | 3.2 | 52 |
| Fourth | 24,780 | 176 | 7.1 | 64 |
Source: NY Office of Court Administration, attorney registration file (data.ny.gov, dataset eqw2-r5nb), downloaded Sep 29, 2026.
By decade of admission
Source: NY Office of Court Administration, attorney registration file (data.ny.gov, dataset eqw2-r5nb), downloaded Sep 29, 2026.
What the register cannot show
The register records a lawyer’s current value only. It gives no date or reason for a disbarment, a resignation or a suspension; it does not record a public censure by the court, or an Admonition or a Letter of Advisement from a grievance committee; and a suspension that has ended leaves no trace, unless it ended between two register files we hold. The Appellate Division’s decisions carry all of that: they are published in the New York Official Reports, online through the court system’s Law Reporting Bureau, and can be searched by the lawyer’s name.
Suspensions, by register value
| Register value | Registrations |
|---|---|
| Suspended, delinquent | 20,229 |
| Suspended, currently registered | 1,440 |
| Suspended, due to re‑register | 498 |
The register does not say why a lawyer was suspended. Failing to register leads to referral for disciplinary action (22 NYCRR 118.1(h)), and suspensions for not registering would show as “Suspended, delinquent”: between the files of Aug 6, 2026 and Sep 29, 2026, 1,146 registrations moved from “Delinquent” straight to “Suspended, delinquent”. A suspension for misconduct can carry the same value, so none of these counts is a count of misconduct.
Source: NY Office of Court Administration, attorney registration file (data.ny.gov, dataset eqw2-r5nb), downloaded Sep 29, 2026; the earlier files as downloaded on their dates.
Where a complaint goes
A complaint goes, written and signed, to the Attorney Grievance Committee of the judicial department that covers the lawyer’s registration address (22 NYCRR 1240.7); a disagreement about a fee usually goes to the fee dispute program instead. Each record here shows the city and county of the office the register lists.
| Department | Counties | Where to file |
|---|---|---|
| First | Bronx, New York | Committee page |
| Second | Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Westchester | Complaint form (PDF) |
| Third | Albany, Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Madison, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, St. Lawrence, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington | Committee page |
| Fourth | Allegany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, Yates | File a complaint |
Source: 22 NYCRR 1240.7 and 137.1 (Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School); the register file of Sep 29, 2026.