What is the first step in the procedure for professional discipline?

The first step in the procedure for professional discipline is typically the filing of a complaint, which is most often initiated by a client or another individual with relevant concerns about an attorney's conduct. This initial complaint serves as the foundation for any further investigative or disciplinary processes that will take place. Clients may report issues such as ethical violations, misconduct, or unprofessional behavior that they have directly experienced or witnessed.

This complaint triggers the subsequent stages of the disciplinary procedure, including preliminary reviews, potential investigations, and hearings, which are all necessary to establish whether any violations of professional conduct have occurred. The importance of this step lies in the fact that it formalizes the concerns and provides the basis upon which the attorney's conduct will be evaluated by the appropriate governing body or bar association.

The other options represent later stages of the process. After a complaint is filed, it may be reviewed by an investigative panel, but this occurs only after the initial complaint is raised. A formal complaint process might refer to a more structured method of addressing the complaint but is not the first step. The Supreme Court's final decision comes at the end of the process, following all investigative and potential disciplinary hearings. Therefore, while each of these steps is relevant to the broader professional discipline framework, the initiation