How is the Bar’s disciplinary process related to a claim for legal malpractice?
The short answer is that they are not related, at least not directly. The purpose of a legal malpractice claim is to compensate a client who suffered damages caused by the attorney’s negligence. A Bar grievance, on the other hand, does not result in compensation for the client, but it may result in the lawyer being disciplined by the Bar. Also, conduct that may be a breach of the standard of care (giving rise to a malpractice claim) is in some instances not a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct, and conduct that may be a violation of the Rules is in some instances not a breach of the standard of care. ~Return to top Contact Us for Additional Information.
