Membership

Staff Liaison

Maya M. Engle, Assistant Executive Director - mengle@meckbar.org

Volunteer Need / Commitment

Members of the Grievance Committee attend monthly Committee meetings and are assigned two to three cases each month to investigate. Meetings take place the third Wednesday of every month during which time members who have completed case investigations present formal reports with their recommendation of probable cause or no probable cause based on the Rules of Professional Conduct. Once the case is closed at the local level, it is sent on to the NC State Bar Grievance Coordinator for final review. Interested in joining this committee? 

 Complete the committee interest form. 

2011-12 Report

(Content from June 2012 newsletter pasted here)

Grievance Committee

By: Marc S. Gentile, Chair

The Grievance Committee investigates complaints against Mecklenburg County Bar members and reports its findings and recommendations to the North Carolina State Bar (NCSB). The Committees recommendations are nonbinding, and the Committee has no role in any discipline that might be imposed. Grievances may be filed locally or with the NCSB, but all grievances other than those alleging criminal conduct or trust account violations are investigated locally. The Committee is comprised of 13 lawyers and three non-lawyers. Investigations are assigned to lawyer members, and all reports are considered by the Committee as a whole. All proceedings are confidential.

For the period from July 1, 2011, through May 1, 2012, 56 new files were opened and 35 were closed. The Committee recommended a finding of probable cause as to a violation of one or more of the Rules of Professional Conduct in 5 of the closed files. Criminal and domestic law consistently generates the most complaints. Regardless of the type of law involved, most complaints allege violations of Rule 1.4, Communication, and Rule 1.3, Diligence.

The Committee works closely with the Fee Dispute Resolution Committee and the Professionalism, Lawyer Life and Culture Committee, and referrals are made as appropriate. Any lawyer with a question about the process or a particular issue should feel free to contact the Chair or any member of the Committee.