Attorneys have rules that they must follow in order to maintain high ethical standards. If they do not follow those standards, they face disbarment, which is losing their license and being prohibited from practicing law, suspension for a period of time from practicing law or a public reprimand. A public reprimand is a lesser punishment; disbarment is the strongest punishment causing the attorney to lose his or her career.
These punishments are kept secret. In Minnesota, the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility is the agency that manages complaints of unprofessional or unethical conduct by a licensed attorney licensed by the state. The Office maintains a list of attorneys who have been disbarred or suspended which is found at http://lprb.mncourts.gov/LawyerSearch/Pages/SuspendedDisbarredList.aspx.
The Office also provides a search database for the public to see if an attorney has been publicly disciplined. The database link can be accessed at http://lprb.mncourts.gov/LawyerSearch/Pages/default.aspx.
The public has the right to know attorneys are following the rules of ethics and providing their clients with professional and appropriate representation.
Contact experienced family law attorney Jessica L. Sterle at (218) 722-2655 to schedule a consultation to discuss the divorce, custody and parenting time process.