New York divides attorney discipline among four Appellate Division departments, each maintaining its own Attorney Grievance Committee (AGC) or Departmental Disciplinary Committee (DDC). Complainants who have been harmed by attorney misconduct must file with the committee in the judicial department where the attorney maintains their principal office — a threshold requirement that confuses many people who want to hold their lawyer accountable. The First Department DDC handles Manhattan and the Bronx attorneys; the Second Department AGC handles Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and surrounding counties; the Third and Fourth Departments cover upstate New York. This topic provides comprehensive guidance on filing with each committee, what the investigation process looks like, and what outcomes are realistic.