The Practice Magazine

Discipline doesn’t just resolve individual cases or protect the public—it can also reshape the market for legal services and careers. But how does it work in practice? And how are disciplinary officials thinking about how to do their jobs even better? Massachusetts and Mississippi provide two examples.

In 2004 the Australian state of Queensland overhauled its attorney disciplinary system, taking authority away from the bar and creating a new independent agency. Much of the world, however, handles attorney discipline like the United States—the same people tasked with regulating the profession are those in the profession. Beyond independence, what factors should states think about to reimagine attorney disciplinary processes?

As a prosecutor, Hank Shea realized he wanted to think outside the box to achieve justice. When individuals pled guilty to white-collar crimes in his office, he asked them to speak to law students about where they had gone wrong. That was a turning point in his career, and he's never looked back.