General Counsel
About the Office of the General Counsel
Under the supervision of the Professional Responsibility Commission, the Office of the General Counsel investigates all matters involving alleged misconduct or incapacity of any lawyer called to the attention of the General Counsel by grievance or otherwise. The office then reports to the Professional Responsibility Commission the results of investigations made by or at the direction of the General Counsel. The Professional Responsibility Commission determines the disposition of grievances or directs the instituting of a formal complaint for alleged misconduct or personal incapacity of an attorney with the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel prosecute all proceedings under the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings and supervise the investigative process.
The General Counsel, General Counsel staff, and the Professional Responsibility Tribunal and Commission members speak to county bar association meetings, continuing legal education classes, law schools classes and various civic organizations and discuss disciplinary and investigative procedures, case law, and ethical standards within the profession. This effort directs lawyers to a better understanding of their requirements and the disciplinary process, and informs the public of the efforts of the Oklahoma Bar Association to regulate the conduct of its members.
Complaints filed against Oklahoma lawyers are confidential by Supreme Court rule. When the Supreme Court issues a ruling on formal discipline, the information becomes public record and is available on the Oklahoma Supreme Court Network (OSCN) website. Notifications of hearings conducted by the Professional Responsibility Tribunal are published in advance in the Oklahoma Bar Journal and are open to the public. More information about Oklahoma's lawyer discipline procedure is available on this website.