To the Editor:

Re "Cracking Down on Unethical Lawyers" (Feb. 27):

Connecticut legal consumers scored a victory last year when the courts overhauled the statewide grievance committee.

Connecticut's system for regulating lawyers was previously marked by a bewilderingly complicated structure and endless delays, factors that contributed to the state's C grade by the organization HALT -- An Organization of Americans for Legal Reform in its 2002 Lawyer Discipline Report Card.

The state's recent reforms point to progress. But while streamlining the system and adding staff members will better serve the immediate needs of consumers, the reforms fail to address a critical issue: the system's self-regulation.

The panels that review complaints against lawyers in Connecticut consist of two lawyers and one token non-lawyer. This inherent bias severely inhibits the Grievance Committee's ability to mete out fair discipline and leads to widespread mistrust of the disciplinary system and the legal profession.

To fully address the system's failures, the Connecticut judicial branch must eliminate the current lawyers-policing-lawyers nature of the discipline system, making it worthy of the public's trust and confidence.

Suzanne M. Mishkin
Kristin Weber

Ms. Mishkin is the associate counsel and Ms. Weber is a program associate for HALT -- An Organization of Americans for Legal Reform based in Washington, D.C.