
CHICAGO-(AEAE)-THE AMERICANS FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF ATTORNEY ETHICS (AEAE), a Chicago based attorney ethics watch dog group has analyzed a number of attorney insurance policies. 95% of the policies will not insurance an attorney if a Racketeering Claim is brought against him. Generally, most insurance policies exclude from coverage any damages caused by intentional misconduct. In addition if an attorney is sued twice within 5 years most attorney insurance carriers will drop that attorney's coverage.
Attorney disciplinary complaints filed against attorneys is a permanent stain against their careers, whether or not a disciplinary commission actually disciplines that attorney or not. Once an attorney disciplinary complaint is filed against an attorney that lawyer has to explain that complaint for the rest of his career. If he fails to report it in insurance disclosures, judgeship applications he can be disqualified and/or disbarred. The fact that a small percentage of attorney disciplinary complaints ever result in sanctions and/or disbarments should not deter any party from filing a attorney disciplinary complaint if they feel they have grounds to do so.