The Center for Professional Responsibility or the American Bar Association operates the National Lawyer Regulatory Data Bank, the only national repository of information concerning public sanctions imposed upon lawyers in disciplinary cases throughout the United States. Although information concerning sanctions that are matters of public record is theoretically available to all who inquire, the difficulty involved in locating and examining individual court records is obvious.

Through the voluntary cooperation of the state and federal courts in forwarding orders of public disciplinary action to the Data Bank, the ABA has been able to offer a valuable service to the profession and the public. The Data Bank not only provides ready access to information concerning sanctions imposed on individual lawyers but also offer a means for gathering national statistics on disciplinary cases. The service is particularly helpful to disciplinary authorities and bar admissions agencies in that it provides means for identifying instances where reciprocal discipline is warranted and were out-of-state disciplinary action should be taken to account in considering admissions applications. Inquirers should verity a matter's current status with the originating jurisdiction. The Data Bank provides two services:

Name Search and Statistic Check
Requests for searches in the Data Bank of individual lawyer names or regulatory actions (or lack thereof) as reported to the Data Bank regarding individual lawyers will be accepted provided that the inquirer confirms the request in writing. The cost is $10.00 for each name searched. Discounts are available for courts and admission agencies. For more information or to request a name search, write the National Lawyer Regulatory Data Bank, Center for Professional Responsibility, American Bar Association, 541 North Fairbanks Court, Chicago, IL 60611-3314, or call 312/988-5321.

Statistical Research Reports
Specialized statistical information can be provided. Requests for research must be in writing and must state the purpose for which the information will be used. Available reports include the alphabetical lists or cumulative lists of lawyer regulatory actions for one year in specific jurisdictions. The cost is $50.00 per report for non-ABA members, $35.00 per report for ABA members, and $25.00 for CPR members.

http://www.abanet.org/cpr/regulation/databank.html

updated 08/08/10