Carlos Leon, chair of The Florida Bar Grievance Committee, shared stories of complaints his committee has received from the public about lawyers — even one about aliens — with members of the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association.
"Don't laugh, we get those," said Leon, the association's keynote speaker at its April meeting Thursday at The River Club. "'She took me up into her spaceship and did things to me.' If we get that file we will not investigate because there is no rule against being an attorney alien."
Leon provided tips for the group on how to avoid those and other complaints by the public.
He said the top complaint his office receives is that attorneys do not return phone calls and have a lack of communication.
"Do return phone calls," said Leon.
He urged that even if attorneys did not have anything to report, make contact and tell the client that there is nothing to report.
About 50 percent of the Bar's budget is spent on investigation and prosecution, Leon said.
As an official arm of the Florida Supreme Court, The Florida Bar and its Department of Lawyer Regulation are charged with administering a statewide disciplinary system to enforce Supreme Court rules of professional conduct for the 95,000-plus lawyers admitted to practice law in Florida.
The Florida Bar accepts complaints against attorneys, investigates those complaints and prosecutes attorneys who engage in unethical conduct.
The Florida Bar operates the Attorney Consumer Assistance Program, with staff investigating complaints that have merit and cannot be mediated.
If staff cannot find a solution, the file is sent to a branch office.
If the branch office finds the complaint has merit, it is sent to a grievance committee, which is similar to a grand jury proceeding. If the committee finds probable cause that an attorney has violated the Rules of Professional Conduct of The Florida Bar, then the chief judge of the Florida Supreme Court appoints a referee. The attorney can appeal the committee's decision to the Supreme Court.
The Florida Bar annually opens about 7,500 disciplinary files and the Supreme Court issues up to 400 orders for disciplining sanctions.
"Although you don't have to follow our advice, if you do, not only are you immune from prosecution, but you'll never have to see me again," said Leon.
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