Attorneys Invited To Apply for Attorney Grievance Committee Appointments
8.11.2026
Dear members,
Presiding Justice Dianne Renwick of the Appellate Division, First Department, has asked the New York State Bar Association to share an important and critical opportunity with our members practicing in the First Department. She is seeking lawyers to apply for a position on the Attorney Grievance Committee.
This Committee plays a vital role in ensuring that complaints against lawyers are reviewed carefully, fairly, and with the seriousness they deserve. Its work is essential to maintaining trust in our disciplinary system — and it depends on dedicated attorneys who are willing to lend their judgment, experience, and sense of justice to the process.
Specifically, the committee investigates complaints against attorneys who practice and maintain offices in New York and Bronx counties. Members are appointed by the court and must participate in six meetings per year held once every other month. The meetings are virtual and run for approximately two hours depending on the number of cases. Members may serve two consecutive three-year terms. After two terms, committee members must leave for at least a year before requesting reappointment.
Serving on the Attorney Grievance Committee is a very important and critical role. It safeguards the public and the legal profession. With the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruling last week in Civil Rights Corps v. LaSalle that the public has a presumptive, First Amendment right of access to attorney disciplinary hearings, the committee’s work is even more crucial now than it ever was. In the case appealed from the Second Department, the 2nd Circuit decided that the state may not prohibit access to proceedings and records ‘without making specific, on-the-record findings justifying confidentiality.’
In a statement I issued on the case, I noted that the ruling introduces practical challenges for the Grievance Committee by shifting the burden to justify confidentiality in matters that historically remained protected during the investigatory stage. It will be essential to have dedicated lawyers helping the committee navigate the transition to public disclosure. I encourage you to apply to be appointed to the Committee.
Please send a letter of interest and resume to Justice Dianne Renwick and Susanna Molina Rojas, Clerk of the Court to the following email: AD1-Committees@nycourts.gov.
Sincerely,
Taa Grays
President, New York State Bar Association
