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What other bars do with the same question
The Florida Bar publishes an accessibility page telling people with disabilities exactly how to request a reasonable accommodation to file a misconduct complaint against an attorney, with named departments and phone numbers on the page. California and North Carolina publish their Bar ADA coordinators by name.
The State Bar of Georgia’s own 2011 English grievance form told a disabled person to contact the ADA Coordinator at (404) 527-8720 or (800) 334-6865. That form is still hosted on one of the Bar’s section websites. The Spanish grievance form carries the same notice. The current English form does not.
So the Bar printed an ADA Coordinator notice on its 2011 English form, carried it on the Spanish form, and printed none on any English revision from May 2016 until June 2026, and then wrote that it is “not required to have a published ADA Coordinator.” On May 26, 2026 it acknowledged the gap in writing: “I have also noted your concerns regarding the differences in the Spanish and English forms.”
If you are asking this question about your own state
Two free federal routes accept ADA complaints about state and local government, and neither requires you to resolve the coverage question first.
- The U.S. Department of Justice ADA complaint route. ADA.gov says its initial review may take up to three months.
- Your state ADA Coordinator’s office. In Georgia that is the State ADA Coordinator’s Office, which answered my questions about a different institution point by point, in writing, and which is on this site because it did.
The full plain language map of the federal materials is here, with every link going to the government’s own page.
Where this stands
On June 30, 2026 the State Bar dismissed every grievance. The coverage question was never answered in one word, or in any number of words that stayed the same for a month.
Corrections: this page is built from published federal materials, from published case summaries by a federally funded ADA center, and from correspondence I received. If any fact here is incomplete or inaccurate, identify the page, the sentence, and the supporting document, and I will review and correct this page.
I have invited the State Bar of Georgia to identify any inaccuracy on this page. It has not identified any.
Frequently asked questions
Is a state bar a public entity under ADA Title II?
Courts have generally treated state licensing and bar bodies as Title II entities because they are empowered by state governments to provide benefits, services and programs. Whether a particular body is covered depends on the entity, the state and the circuit, and that is a question for a lawyer.
Can I sue a state bar under ADA Title II?
There is a real limit. In Guttman v. Khalsa and Turner v. National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the Tenth Circuit held that states retain sovereign immunity from Title II damages claims in the professional licensing context. That limits what can be recovered. It is not a statement that the access obligation does not exist.
What did the State Bar of Georgia say about its own ADA coverage?
Four positions in eight weeks. On May 4, 2026 it granted ADA accommodations in writing. On May 12 it wrote that it is not a public entity. On May 13 it approved an accommodation request. On May 29 it wrote it is not subject to Title II.
Which court cases apply the ADA to bar bodies?
Bartlett v. New York State Board of Bar Examiners, Clark v. Virginia Board of Bar Examiners, Ellen S. v. Florida Board of Bar Examiners, and Bonnette v. D.C. Court of Appeals are collected by the Southeast ADA Center, a federally funded ADA center.
Do I have to settle the coverage question before I file a complaint?
No. The state ADA coordinator route and the U.S. Department of Justice route both accept a complaint and make their own determination. Waiting for the institution to answer means waiting on the party with the least reason to answer.
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