The ABA attempts to limit this database to those lawyers who are in good standing as members of the bar. However, we must rely on the bar admission and disciplinary authority of each state to provide information concerning lawyers admitted to the bar in each jurisdiction and lawyers subject to disciplinary action for misconduct. Disciplinary action for misconduct may include disbarring a lawyer permanently (in which case the lawyer may no longer practice law), suspending or limiting a lawyer's right to practice law, or other disciplinary action important to consumers of legal services. Time delays in receiving and incorporating such information may result. Therefore, it is important, before hiring any lawyer, to contact the lawyer disciplinary agency in the state where the lawyer maintains a business address to confirm that the individual is in good standing as a member of the bar. An online listing of each state's lawyer disciplinary agency may be found at www.abanet.org/cpr/regulation/scpd/disciplinary.html. Just click on the link to see this information.