The professional conduct of attorneys is generally regulated by each state's rules of professional conduct—which are often written by the state's highest court, and enforced through the disciplinary process administered by the state's bar association. The professional conduct of attorneys is also referred to as legal ethics and professional responsibility.

Attorneys can be disciplined for a variety of reasons, ranging from the failure to pay their bar dues to misappropriating client funds. The grounds upon which an attorney may be disciplined by the state bar association are generally located in the state bar association's disciplinary rules of professional conduct.

Some attorneys who have been disciplined are no longer eligible to practice law. You should inquire about an attorney’s disciplinary history on the state bar association’s website, or by calling the state bar association.

You should not hire an attorney whose license is been suspended or revoked and who is not eligible to practice law in your state. Each state has a disciplinary organization that receives, investigates, and resolves ethics complaints against attorneys licensed in the state.

In New Jersey, the professional conduct of attorneys is regulated by the New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC), which are promulgated by the New Jersey Supreme Court. The New Jersey Office of Attorney Ethics (OAE) acts as the investigative and prosecutorial arm of the Supreme Court of New Jersey in discharging the Court's constitutional responsibility to supervise and discipline New Jersey attorneys. The OAE assists the New Jersey Supreme Court in its regulation of the practice of law through its investigation of allegations of attorney misconduct. Attorneys in New Jersey can be disciplined for various ethical violations, such as misappropriation of client funds, conflict of interest, lack of diligence, and failure to communicate with clients. Disciplinary actions can range from admonition to disbarment. The public can check an attorney's disciplinary history through the New Jersey Courts website or by contacting the New Jersey State Bar Association. It is important to ensure that any attorney you consider hiring is in good standing and eligible to practice law in New Jersey. Hiring an attorney who has been suspended or disbarred and is thus ineligible to practice is not advisable.