ADA Matters Because All People Matter

A DISABLED DAD’S ADA MATTERS
Georgia on My Mind
STATE BAR OF GEORGIA • CITY OF BROOKHAVEN • GIRMA, GMA, AND GALLAGHER BASSETT • GEORGIA POST • STATE ADA COORDINATOR’S OFFICE

Who Is John J. Shiptenko, ADA Coordinator, State Bar of Georgia?

John J. Shiptenko

Senior Assistant General Counsel
State Bar of Georgia

104 Marietta St. NW, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30303
T: 404-527-8720 | F: 404-527-8744
johns@gabar.org

Who John J. Shiptenko Is:

John J. Shiptenko is a Senior Assistant General Counsel in the State Bar of Georgia Office of the General Counsel, and the person who calls himself the State Bar’s ADA Coordinator. The State Bar lists him as Senior Assistant General Counsel in its staff directory.

Who is the State Bar of Georgia’s ADA coordinator? On September 22, 2026, at 8:07 AM, John J. Shiptenko wrote: “I am the State Bar’s ADA Coordinator, and you may continue to send your accommodation requests to me.” The State Bar of Georgia’s staff directory, as captured June 1, 2026, lists 113 staff. It lists no one as ADA Coordinator.

What the State Bar’s own published record says about his position:

  • In the fall of 2014: “Longtime Assistant General Counsel John Shiptenko was promoted to Senior Assistant General Counsel this Fall in recognition of his 18 years of service”. That puts him on the State Bar’s legal staff since about 1996, about 30 years.
  • “John Shiptenko is assistant general counsel for all Bar Counsel matters.” “He acts as staff liaison to the Formal Advisory Opinion Board and the Fellows Foundation and handles insurance, contractual and employment matters for the Bar.”
  • The 2023 to 2024 report carries a section bylined “FORMAL ADVISORY OPINION BOARD BY JOHN J. SHIPTENKO, SENIOR ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL”, and says “Senior Assistant General Counsel John J. Shiptenko and Pro Hac Vice Administrator Nariah Dancy manage the application process and duties for the OGC”.
  • In 2019 the State Bar named him Employee of the Year: “to John Shiptenko, Senior Assistant General Counsel. He is commended for his exemplary work, conscientious manner and positive attitude.”
  • The State Bar member directory lists “John Joseph Shiptenko” with “Admit Date 12/05/1994”. His LinkedIn profile lists service as an Army Judge Advocate from January 1992 to August 1995.

Sources: State Bar of Georgia staff directory; Office of the General Counsel annual report, 2008 to 2009; Office of the General Counsel annual report, 2014 to 2015; Office of the General Counsel annual report, 2023 to 2024; Georgia Bar Journal, August 2019; State Bar of Georgia member directory; LinkedIn profile, viewed October 17, 2026.

Official page: State Bar of Georgia page listing John J. Shiptenko.

Why John J. Shiptenko Is On ADAMATTERS.COM:

  • He runs the Bar’s ethics opinions and its employment matters, then asked a disabled man to describe his disability. The State Bar says John J. Shiptenko is staff liaison to the Formal Advisory Opinion Board, the board that issues the State Bar’s formal ethics opinions, and handles its “employment matters”. On May 4, 2026, at 10:56 AM, after granting written only communication, he wrote: “If you feel comfortable providing me with a description of your disability, please do so.” On May 7 he asked again, and invited a phone call. Read the two asks
  • Granted, then denied. On May 4, 2026 he wrote, “The OGC is granting the following ADA accommodations requested by you”. On May 7: “A public entity can have numerous ADA coordinators.” On May 12, to the State ADA Coordinator, without copying me: “The State Bar of Georgia is not a public entity, such as a federal, state, or local government department or agency.” On May 29, to me: “To be clear, the State Bar’s position remains that it is not subject to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.” Read the reversal
  • Use the tool you already have. On June 17, 2026 I told him the grievance form did not work with my voice to text workflow. That afternoon, at 4:22 PM, he wrote: “You appear to have the ability to use your voice-to-text tool to create a PDF.” Read the voice to text reply
  • The man the grievance was about answered it. When I filed a grievance against John J. Shiptenko on June 17, 2026, the only answer came from John J. Shiptenko, to me alone, at 8:05 AM the next morning: “Received.” Twelve days later the dismissal went out copied to him. Read the one word
  • He cut everyone else off the email. Seven of the thirteen replies I hold from John J. Shiptenko that quote my email dropped people I had copied, as of October 17, 2026. On June 18 the reply dropped all sixteen. Read how he cut the list
  • “Keep sending,” then “closed”. On September 22, 2026 he told me to keep sending accommodation requests to him. On October 7 I sent one. On October 8 he wrote: “I am closing this matter, as you have made no request that can properly be classified as a request for an accommodation.” That is the fifth time he has written, in substance, that what I sent was not an accommodation request. Read the closure

The full story, one page each

By the numbers

18emails John J. Shiptenko has sent me, April 30 to October 8, 2026, plus two automatic replies.
5times John J. Shiptenko wrote, in substance, that what I had sent was not an accommodation request: May 7, May 26, May 29, June 2 and October 8, 2026.
7of the thirteen replies from John J. Shiptenko that quote my email dropped people I had copied.
2times in three days, May 4 and May 7, 2026, John J. Shiptenko asked me for a description of my disability.

As of October 17, 2026. Counted from my mailbox.

What did John J. Shiptenko’s own published record say he worked on?

John J. Shiptenko is published by the State Bar as Senior Assistant General Counsel, while State Bar annual reports place him on formal advisory opinions, Bar rules work, and the Insurance Committee.

What his own published record saysWhat he did in my record
State Bar annual report: “FORMAL ADVISORY OPINION BOARD BY JOHN J. SHIPTENKO, SENIOR ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL”May 29, 2026: John J. Shiptenko, Senior Assistant General Counsel, wrote: “To be clear, the State Bar’s position remains that it is not subject to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
State Bar annual report: “Bar Counsel periodically reviews these rules, advises the Board regarding whether it should consider amending the rules and suggests proposed amendments.”September 22, 2026, 8:07 AM: John J. Shiptenko wrote: “I am the State Bar’s ADA Coordinator, and you may continue to send your accommodation requests to me.”

I find that pair hard to ignore. John J. Shiptenko’s public record puts him around rules and formal advisory opinions. On May 29, 2026 he wrote that the State Bar of Georgia is not subject to Title II. On September 22, 2026 he wrote that he is its ADA Coordinator. On September 23, 2026, the State Bar’s public staff directory identified none of its listed staff as an ADA Coordinator. I am not the one who has to square those three writings. I only have to put them on the same page.

Sources: Office of the General Counsel annual report 2022 to 2023, Office of the General Counsel annual report 2023 to 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2026.

Find Everything Here:

Everything About John J. ShiptenkoStories About John J. ShiptenkoWhere John J. Shiptenko Fits

Everything About John J. Shiptenko (3)

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Where John J. Shiptenko Fits (1)

Back to the State Bar record · All people in the record

Published profile. The State Bar of Georgia lists this person in its public member directory as Bar No. 643200. View the State Bar of Georgia member profile. Retrieved September 23, 2026.

We Are Not Alone

“There is no way the State Bar of Georgia read our complaint.” Rep. Sandra Scott (D-Rex), February 28, 2022.

“Georgia Bar is run by lawyers. If you expect results on another lawyer, goooood luck.” A public comment on PissedConsumer, June 18, 2022.

In 2024-25 the State Bar received 3,080 grievances and closed or dismissed 2,814 at screening; 215 went on to investigation (its own report).

Read what others have said about the State Bar of Georgia

Do You Have an ADA Complaint About John J. Shiptenko and the State Bar of Georgia?

Please note: the State ADA Coordinator’s Office tracks complaints but does not have enforcement powers. In its own words: “Our office is not an enforcement agency.” (State ADA Coordinator’s Office FAQ)

We Are Not Alone. Did This Happen to You Too?

Submit Your Story Here

I am a disabled dad, not your lawyer. This is not legal advice. Please seek an attorney for help with your situation. I do not give, and am not allowed to give, legal advice.

Blog Mentions of John J. Shiptenko

21 blog posts as of October 26, 2026, newest first.

All Mentions of John J. Shiptenko on This Site

113 pages as of October 26, 2026. This list updates itself whenever a new page on this site links to this profile.

  1. Georgia Bar’s ADA Coordinator Said Yes in May. In October: “no request.” (October 23, 2026)
  2. 27 Offers of Proof. Georgia Bar’s Top Lawyer Wrote “asserted.” (October 23, 2026)
  3. What happened when I asked the State ADA Coordinator’s Office for help? (October 19, 2026)
  4. What happened when I used the State Bar of Georgia’s grievance and ADA access routes? (October 19, 2026)
  5. Georgia’s Complaint Routes: The Published Rule and the Dated Response (October 19, 2026)
  6. State Bar of Georgia: The Grievance Process (October 19, 2026)
  7. State Bar of Georgia: People in the Record (October 19, 2026)
  8. The Five Minute Story (October 19, 2026)
  9. Double Talk: William D. NeSmith III Said “not a public entity” to Me, Part 2 (October 19, 2026)
  10. The State Bar Documents: What Each Says, and Why It Matters, Part 2 (October 19, 2026)
  11. Jeffrey W. DeLoach Cleared 4 of the Georgia Bar’s Own Lawyers, Part 2 (October 19, 2026)
  12. What the State Bar of Georgia Did to Me, Step by Step, Part 2 (October 19, 2026)
  13. When the State Bar of Georgia Did It: The Timeline, Part 2 (October 19, 2026)
  14. Things Sandra Dixon Did to Me, and When Sandra Dixon Did It (October 19, 2026)
  15. Things Sarah I. Coole Did to Me, and When Sarah I. Coole Did It (October 19, 2026)
  16. Things Damon E. Elmore Did to Me, and When Damon E. Elmore Did It (October 19, 2026)
  17. Requests I Made That Were Ignored (October 19, 2026)
  18. Things Christopher P. Twyman Did to Me, and When Christopher P. Twyman Did It (October 19, 2026)
  19. Things Stacey Peace Did to Me, and When Stacey Peace Did It (October 19, 2026)
  20. The Receipts: ALL Jeffrey W. DeLoach’s Emails (October 19, 2026)
  21. Things Jeffrey W. DeLoach Did to Me, and When Jeffrey W. DeLoach Did It (October 19, 2026)
  22. Requests I Made That Were Ignored (October 19, 2026)
  23. Requests I Made That Were Ignored, and Complaints Filed Against Leigh Burgess, Leigh Burgess’s Clearance (October 19, 2026)
  24. Things Leigh Burgess Did to Me, and When Leigh Burgess Did It (October 19, 2026)
  25. The Receipts: ALL Adrienne D. Nash’s Emails (October 19, 2026)
  26. Things Adrienne D. Nash Did to Me, and When Adrienne D. Nash Did It (October 19, 2026)
  27. Requests I Made That Were Ignored (October 19, 2026)
  28. Things Russell D. Willard Did to Me, and When Russell D. Willard Did It (October 19, 2026)
  29. The Receipts: ALL William D. NeSmith III’s Emails (October 19, 2026)
  30. Requests I Made That Were Ignored, and Complaints Filed Against Him, His Clearance (October 19, 2026)
  31. Things William D. NeSmith III Did to Me, and When William D. NeSmith III Did It (October 19, 2026)
  32. The Receipts: ALL John J. Shiptenko’s Emails (October 19, 2026)
  33. Requests I Made That Were Ignored (October 19, 2026)
  34. Things John J. Shiptenko Did to Me, and When John J. Shiptenko Did It (October 19, 2026)
  35. State of Georgia ADA Coordinator’s Office: Questions and Answers (October 19, 2026)
  36. State Bar of Georgia ADA Coordinator and ADA Complaints: Questions and Answers (October 19, 2026)
  37. Stacey Peace, State ADA Coordinator’s Office: I Asked for Help April 30. The Route Came Back in Writing May 6. (October 18, 2026)
  38. ADA Access at the State Bar of Georgia: Questions and Answers (October 18, 2026)
  39. The Proof: State Bar of Georgia Emails and Letters, by Date (October 18, 2026)
  40. When the State Bar of Georgia Did It: The Timeline (October 18, 2026)
  41. What the State Bar of Georgia Did to Me, Step by Step (October 18, 2026)
  42. State ADA Office Emails, Word for Word: Every Table and the Full Request (October 18, 2026)
  43. POST Got the State’s ADA Email: “I am not sure how to respond to this.” (October 17, 2026)
  44. Andreea N. Morrison Vowed “I will respond.” Opened 13, Answered None (October 17, 2026)
  45. Jeffrey W. DeLoach’s Four Dismissals Share One Pasted Signature Image (October 17, 2026)
  46. Jeffrey W. DeLoach “thoroughly reviewed,” Dismissed Four in 12 Minutes (October 17, 2026)
  47. Double Talk: Russell D. Willard’s Office Told Me “not a public entity” (October 17, 2026)
  48. After Three Requests, Adrienne D. Nash Wrote: “Feel Free to Resend” (October 17, 2026)
  49. Adrienne D. Nash Signed Two of Six “Do Not Reply” Letters in 12 Minutes (October 17, 2026)
  50. Adrienne D. Nash: “Checking My Email Periodically.” 148 Days, No Reply (October 17, 2026)
  51. John J. Shiptenko Told a Disabled Dad: “use your voice-to-text tool” (October 17, 2026)
  52. John J. Shiptenko Answered the Grievance on Shiptenko: “Received.” (October 17, 2026)
  53. Bar Dismissed the Grievance on John J. Shiptenko and Copied Shiptenko (October 17, 2026)
  54. John J. Shiptenko Reversed in Five Days: Bar Is “not a public entity” (October 17, 2026)
  55. John J. Shiptenko Asked for “a description of your disability” Twice (October 17, 2026)
  56. John J. Shiptenko Cut Georgia Bar Leaders Off My Emails Seven Times (October 17, 2026)
  57. “I am closing this matter,” John J. Shiptenko Wrote to My ADA Request (October 17, 2026)
  58. Jeffrey W. DeLoach Cleared William D. NeSmith III in Three Sentences (October 17, 2026)
  59. Double Talk: William D. NeSmith III Said “not a public entity” to Me (October 17, 2026)
  60. William D. NeSmith III Cut Everyone Else Off His Emails, 5 Times in 6 (October 17, 2026)
  61. Ivy N. Cadle, State Bar of Georgia (October 15, 2026)
  62. Ron Turner, State Bar of Georgia (October 15, 2026)
  63. Shiriki Cavitt Jones, State Bar of Georgia (October 15, 2026)
  64. R. Javoyne Hicks, State Bar of Georgia (October 15, 2026)
  65. Marie Doyrin, State Bar of Georgia (October 15, 2026)
  66. William C. “Bill” Gentry, State Bar of Georgia (October 15, 2026)
  67. Jennifer McNeely, State Bar of Georgia (October 15, 2026)
  68. Kathy Jackson, Clerk, State Bar of Georgia Disciplinary Boards (October 15, 2026)
  69. Georgia Bar’s Lawyers Called Its Own Email “purporting”. I Have It. (October 13, 2026)
  70. Georgia Bar Issued 6 Decisions in 12 Minutes. 4 Judged Its Own Lawyers (October 13, 2026)
  71. Georgia POST Scheduled an October 27 Vote. I Asked for the Standard (October 8, 2026)
  72. Jeffrey W. DeLoach Cleared 4 of the Georgia Bar’s Own Lawyers (September 28, 2026)
  73. Stacey Peace, State ADA Coordinator, to the State Bar of Georgia: State Bars Have Been Held Title II Entities (September 28, 2026)
  74. The State ADA Coordinator’s Office Answered Me in Writing and Contacted the Georgia Bar (September 28, 2026)
  75. What 7 Georgia Offices Wrote When a Disabled Dad Asked for ADA Help (September 26, 2026)
  76. I Asked Georgia Bar General Counsel Russell D. Willard: Private Bar or Arm of the State? (September 22, 2026)
  77. John J. Shiptenko Wrote That He Is the State Bar of Georgia’s ADA Coordinator (September 22, 2026)
  78. I Asked John J. Shiptenko One Question: Are You Still My ADA Coordinator? (September 19, 2026)
  79. I Asked John J. Shiptenko in Writing: Are You Still My ADA Coordinator, and Where Does an Access Complaint Go? (September 14, 2026)
  80. I Asked Russell D. Willard and Damon E. Elmore of the Georgia Bar: Who Is Your ADA Coordinator? (September 14, 2026)
  81. Stacey Peace, State ADA Coordinator, State of Georgia (September 8, 2026)
  82. What a State Bar ADA Coordinator Is Supposed to Do (September 7, 2026)
  83. Does ADA Title II Apply to a State Bar? (September 7, 2026)
  84. The Disabled Dad’s Journal (July 9, 2026)
  85. State ADA Coordinator’s Office (July 8, 2026)
  86. Georgia Bar Lawyer Read My Emails and Decided I Did Not Need Help (July 3, 2026)
  87. Georgia Bar Told Me It Is Not Government. Its Court Brief Said It Is. (July 3, 2026)
  88. Adrienne D. Nash, Grievance Counsel, State Bar of Georgia (July 3, 2026)
  89. Jeffrey W. DeLoach and Adrienne D. Nash Signed Six Georgia Bar Decision Letters Dated June 30 (July 3, 2026)
  90. People in the Record (July 1, 2026)
  91. Shiptenko Alone Acknowledged the Grievance Against Him: ‘Received.’ (July 1, 2026)
  92. The State Bar of Georgia ADA Access Diary, January to June 2026 (July 1, 2026)
  93. Every Email in the State Bar of Georgia Record, As Written (July 1, 2026)
  94. Georgia Bar Disciplinary Board Chair Jeffrey W. DeLoach Dismissed My Grievance Against Its ADA Coordinator, John J. Shiptenko (June 30, 2026)
  95. I Asked John J. Shiptenko What Rule the Georgia Bar Uses for Complaints About Its Own Lawyers (June 26, 2026)
  96. State Bar of Georgia’s ADA Contact Was Out the Day I Followed Up (June 26, 2026)
  97. Georgia Bar’s Shiptenko Got My Complaint About Him. Reply: “Received.” (June 26, 2026)
  98. June 25, 2026: I Asked the State Bar of Georgia’s ADA Coordinator for a Written Status on My Seven Open Cases (June 26, 2026)
  99. May 12, 2026: My Reply to William D. NeSmith III on Record Integrity (June 26, 2026)
  100. May 12, 2026: William D. NeSmith III’s “ADA Response” Email (June 26, 2026)
  101. May 4, 2026: John J. Shiptenko Grants My ADA Accommodations (June 26, 2026)
  102. Georgia Bar’s John J. Shiptenko Pointed Me to My Own Voice to Text Tool (June 26, 2026)
  103. John J. Shiptenko Acknowledged the Grievance Against Him in One Word: “Received.” (June 26, 2026)
  104. I Sent John J. Shiptenko 17 Outstanding ADA Questions at the Georgia Bar (June 26, 2026)
  105. John J. Shiptenko Sent Me the Georgia Bar’s Grievance Form and Three Ways to File Without a Phone Call or CAPTCHA (June 26, 2026)
  106. June 17, 2026: I File the Grievance by the Route the Bar Offered (June 26, 2026)
  107. The Receipts: Every Document Cited on This Site, Transcribed and Dated (June 18, 2026)
  108. June 16, 2026: I Asked the State Bar of Georgia to Reconsider (June 16, 2026)
  109. State Bar of Georgia (June 15, 2026)
  110. John J. Shiptenko, State Bar of Georgia: Does Title II Apply? (May 29, 2026)
  111. John J. Shiptenko Approved My Accommodation Request (May 13, 2026)
  112. William D. NeSmith III Put Off Two Emails: ‘Won’t Be Able to Respond’ (May 13, 2026)
  113. John J. Shiptenko, April 30: ‘I Am Serving as the ADA Coordinator’ (April 30, 2026)