Attorney Registration | Complaints About Attorneys | Continuing Legal Education | Attorney ID Cards

The New York State Unified Court System maintains a Directory of New York State Attorneys and provides registration information.

Complaints About Attorneys

The Civil Court does not have jurisdiction to investigate complaints about attorneys. However, if you have a complaint against an attorney, you may contact the appropriate Attorney Disciplinary Committee. The place you contact depends upon the location of your lawyer's office.

New York and Bronx Counties:
Departmental Disciplinary Committee
for the First Department
61 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10006
(212) 401-0800

Kings, Queens & Richmond Counties:
Grievance Committee for the Second
& Eleventh Judicial Districts
Renaissance Plaza
Brooklyn, New York 11201-3745
(718) 923-6300

For more information, go to Attorney Complaints.

Continuing Legal Education

The Civil Court offers Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits through its Volunteer Lawyer's Project training course. Attorneys who complete the required training can receive 9 free CLE credits, including 1 ethics credit, in exchange for performing 12 hours of pro bono service throughout the year in any of the Housing Court’s Help Centers. For information on the next training session, refer to News and Announcements.

For more information, contact Marcelle Brandes, Esq. at (646) 386-5412 or e-mail vlpcivil@courts.state.ny.us.

The Association of Small Claims Arbitrators bar provides 2 free CLE credits to any attorney, admitted to practice over five years, who completes the training to serve as a small claims arbitrator. The training is conducted several times a year in every county.

In addition, the Association of Small Claims Arbitrators bar offers approximately four additional CLE classes throughout each year to its members who are current with their annual $25.00 membership fee. Past topics have included Bailments and License To Park, Tariffs and the Warsaw Convention, Creative Legal Writing, and Ethics classes.

For more information, contact Joseph A. J. Gebbia, Executive Director of the Association of Small Claims Arbitrators, at (646) 386-3975.

Attorney ID Cards

An attorney may apply for a Secure Pass ID Card which permits the bearer to enter the Civil Courthouses without having to pass through magnetometer. Applications for Secure Pass ID's are available in any of the civil courthouses in the Captain's Office.

All attorneys must appear in person to both apply for and pick up the completed card. When applying for the card, you will need to bring:

• $25.00 Payment - payable by check or credit card (MasterCard or Visa)
• Attorney Registration Number
• Two color passport photos with white or light solid color background
• Two forms of photo ID to verify identity, such as passport, driver's licence, or government ID.
• If you are licensed to carry a firearm, your firearm permit.

All applicants must undergo a thorough application process including an electronic criminal history. Processing takes 6-8 weeks.