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Added From the State Bar of Georgia Hub
These 6 of the hub’s 7 entries were not yet linked on this page. They are moved word for word from the State Bar of Georgia hub on October 19, 2026. The other entry was already linked here.
- ADA Access at the State Bar of Georgia: Questions and AnswersDoes the Bar have an ADA Coordinator, where things stand, and the questions it left open.
- Does ADA Title II Apply to a State Bar?What the statute says, what the courts have held both ways, and the four dated positions the State Bar of Georgia took on…
- What a State Bar ADA Coordinator Is Supposed to DoThe role under 28 CFR Part 35: a named person, published contact details, and a grievance procedure. Plus what happened when…
- State Bar of Georgia Grievance Forms: The June 2026 Versions Name an ADA Contact. The 2024 Form Still Has NoneState Bar of Georgia grievance forms: the June 2026 English and Spanish versions name an ADA contact. The 2024 English form…
- Other Bars Publish It. Georgia Does Not.Florida, California and North Carolina publish an ADA route for lawyer complaints. Georgia’s English grievance form carried…
- Stacey Peace, State ADA Coordinator’s Office: I Asked for Help April 30. The Route Came Back in Writing May 6.I asked Stacey Peace‘s State ADA Coordinator’s Office for help April 30, 2026. By May 6 it had contacted the State Bar and…
Questions and Answers:
More questions about the State Bar of Georgia: State Bar of Georgia ADA Coordinator and ADA Complaints: Questions and Answers.
Does the State Bar of Georgia have an ADA coordinator?
On May 12, 2026, William D. NeSmith III, Deputy General Counsel, State Bar of Georgia, wrote that “The State Bar of Georgia is not a department or agency of the State of Georgia, therefore we are not required to have a published ADA Coordinator,” and on September 22, 2026, John J. Shiptenko, Senior Assistant General Counsel, wrote: “I am the State Bar’s ADA Coordinator, and you may continue to send your accommodation requests to me.”
State Bar of Georgia ADA accessibility
It also follows requests for written communication, accessible submission routes, reliable confirmation and one responsible contact.
The State Bar of Georgia ADA and Grievance Record
Two submissions arrived. The dismissal says no rebuttal was received. The Bar admitted the misclassification in writing on April 21, 2026. The dismissal still stands.
Where It Stands:
As of September 28, 2026
On June 30, 2026, the State Bar of Georgia sent six decisions between 4:23 PM and 4:35 PM Eastern from a no reply address. Adrienne D. Nash, Grievance Counsel, signed the two decisions involving lawyers outside the Office of the General Counsel. Jeffrey W. DeLoach, Chair of the State Disciplinary Board and outside that Office, signed the four decisions involving Andreea N. Morrison, William D. NeSmith III, Leigh Burgess, and John J. Shiptenko. Each of DeLoach’s four letters stated there was “no basis” to forward the matter and stated no evidentiary standard.
The April 10 dismissal still states that no rebuttal was received. The April 21 email still states that the submissions had been received, misclassified, and not added to the file when the dismissal was reviewed. Both statements remain in the record.
The complaint I sent on June 8 to Sandra Dixon, Director of Human Resources, received no Human Resources decision in the June 30 decision batch. A September 5 follow up set September 18, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET as its answer date. The date passed. No answer found through October 19, 2026.
The three other September letters asked for answers by September 24, 2026. That date passed with no answer. A September 22 letter to Russell D. Willard, General Counsel, asked for an answer by September 25, 2026. That date also passed with no answer.
Why It Matters:
The State Bar of Georgia investigates and prosecutes attorney discipline cases, and its grievance process decides whether complaints move forward.
A person using that process depends on the Bar to receive documents, place them in the correct file, tell the person what process applies, and identify who is responsible for the next step.
I needed written communication, accessible electronic documents, reliable confirmation that submissions reached the correct file, and a usable person or channel for disability access.
The State Bar granted written communication and accessible electronic format, later stated that it was not subject to Title II, and continued handling the grievance and accommodation processes in writing.
I use adaptive technology instead of typing due to my disability. Every additional round required to confirm receipt, where it goes, file placement, or the identity of the responsible official is another access step I have to complete.
Questions the State Bar of Georgia Has Not Answered:
This pillar publishes five current questions. The full ledger contains the rest. The wording below is the wording as sent.
| Question | Asked of | Sent | Due | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| “The ADA grievance procedure that was available to me on June 8. Not the Judicial Council’s. The State Bar’s own. Name it, date it, and tell me where it is published.” | Sandra Dixon, Director of Human Resources | September 5, 2026 | September 18, 2026 | No answer found through October 19, 2026. Response date passed. |
| “What written rule governs routing of grievances against lawyers employed in the Office of the General Counsel?” | Russell D. Willard, General Counsel, and Damon E. Elmore, Executive Director | September 14, 2026 | September 24, 2026 | No answer found through October 19, 2026. Response date passed. |
| “Your June 2 statement limits correspondence to you to accommodation requests under the ADA. Where does a complaint about the access process itself go? Identify the person and the channel.” | John J. Shiptenko, Senior Assistant General Counsel and ADA contact | September 14, 2026 | September 24, 2026 | No answer found through October 19, 2026. Response date passed. On September 22, 2026, John J. Shiptenko answered a separate question sent September 19. See the timeline. |
| “Which standard did you apply to each matter” | Jeffrey W. DeLoach, Chair, State Disciplinary Board | September 15, 2026 | September 24, 2026 | No answer found through October 19, 2026. Response date passed. |
| “Please identify any written rule, policy, delegation, conflict procedure, internal protocol, or other authority that governed how grievances against lawyers employed by OGC were to be received, screened, routed, assigned, and decided. If no such written procedure governed these matters, please state that directly.” | Jeffrey W. DeLoach, Chair, State Disciplinary Board | September 15, 2026 | September 24, 2026 | No answer found through October 19, 2026. Response date passed. |
Read all Questions Still Open at the State Bar
What Came Back:
On April 10, 2026, Andreea N. Morrison wrote that the State Bar had not received the rebuttal:
“we did not receive a rebuttal.”
On April 21, 2026, Leigh Burgess wrote:
“As a result of this misclassification, your submissions were not added to the grievance file at that time.”
On May 29, 2026, John J. Shiptenko wrote:
“The State Bar’s position remains that it is not subject to Title II.”
On June 30, 2026, Adrienne D. Nash wrote:
“your request for reconsideration is denied, and the dismissal of your grievance is affirmed.”
Nash also signed the dismissal of the other matter she reviewed. Jeffrey W. DeLoach signed the four dismissals involving lawyers employed in the Office of the General Counsel. Each of those four letters found:
“no basis”
to forward the matter.
The April 10 statement remains in the record. The April 21 admission remains in the record.
The June 8 Human Resources complaint has no decision as of September 28, 2026.
The September 14 and September 15 response dates passed on September 24, 2026, with no answer.