Professional Regulation
Professional regulation at the Virginia State Bar includes lawyer discipline, legal ethics, lawyer advertising and solicitation and the unauthorized practice of law.
The Discipline Department and the Ethics Department are separate operations that report independently to the executive director.
Pursuant to the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia Part 6, § IV, Paragraph 13-30, disciplinary matters are confidential and become public only when charges are issued. Once issued, pending cases are placed on the public disciplinary hearings docket. The Disciplinary Board and the disciplinary district committees speak through their orders, and members cannot and will not discuss a ruling. Decisions not to pursue complaints against lawyers are made by the Bar’s Discipline Department. All questions about disciplinary matters can be directed to Bar Counsel at (804) 775-0575.
Legal Ethics Hotline
The ethics hotline serves Virginia lawyers by answering questions regarding ethics and the unauthorized practice of law. Any Virginia lawyers can seek informal ethics or UPL opinion advice by calling the ethics hotline or by submitting a question by email. The Ethics Department has separate, restricted servers to maintain the confidentiality of all its data. More information.
Updated: Jan 14, 2020