Attorney Grievance Commission relaunches search for bar counsel

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The Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission is once again seeking applicants for the job of bar counsel after a previous finalist failed to win approval from the state Supreme Court.

The commission on Tuesday posted another announcement about the job, which involves investigating and prosecuting attorneys accused of ethical violations.

The Attorney Grievance Commission previously named two finalists and ultimately nominated D. Michael Lyles, the city attorney for Annapolis, for final approval from the Maryland Supreme Court.

Lyles told The Daily Record last week that the Supreme Court rejected his nomination. The other finalist was John J. Kuchno, deputy chief of litigation in the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. Kuchno has not returned repeated messages requesting comment.

Marianne J. Lee, the Attorney Grievance Commission’s executive counsel and director, declined to comment except to say that the commission has readvertised for the bar counsel position.

The judiciary and the commission have both said nothing about why Lyles was rejected for the job.

“The commission cannot provide any information on any of the applicants as it is a personnel matter,” Lee said.

The Attorney Grievance Commission picks finalists for the bar counsel job and receives public comment on their qualifications. The commission’s choice for bar counsel must be approved by the Maryland Supreme Court.

Only four people have served as bar counsel since the commission was created in 1975. Most recently, Lydia E. Lawless held the role for nearly six years before she stepped down in March. Erin A. Risch has served as acting bar counsel since then.

New applications for the bar counsel position are due by Aug. 14. The job will pay between $155,110 and $177,624, depending on the candidate’s experience, according to the commission’s announcement.

In addition to handling attorney misconduct cases, bar counsel also petitions for conservatorship when an attorney dies or becomes unable to practice law; enforces diversionary agreements for lawyers in trouble; and investigates when attorney escrow accounts become overdrawn.