Rule 4-202. Receipt of Grievances; Initial Review by Bar Counsel

(a) All grievances other than those initiated by the Supreme Court of Georgia, the Investigative Panel or inquiries which may be filed with the Consumer Assistance Program under Part XII of these Rules shall be first filed with the Office of the General Counsel of the State Bar of Georgia. The Office of the General Counsel shall require that oral grievances, and grievances illegibly or informally drawn, be reduced to a memorandum of grievance in such form as may be prescribed by the Investigative Panel.

(b) Upon receipt of a grievance in proper form, the Office of the General Counsel shall screen it to determine whether the grievance is unjustified, frivolous, patently unfounded or fails to state facts sufficient to invoke the disciplinary jurisdiction of the State Bar of Georgia. The Office of the General Counsel shall be empowered to collect evidence and information concerning any grievance and to add the findings and results of its investigation to the file containing such grievance. The screening process may include forwarding a copy of the grievance to the respondent in order that the respondent may respond to the grievance.

(c) Upon completion of its screening of a grievance, the Office of the General Counsel shall be empowered to dismiss those grievances which are unjustified, frivolous, patently unfounded or which fail to state facts sufficient to invoke the disciplinary jurisdiction of the State Bar of Georgia; provided, however, that a rejection of such grievances by the Office of the General Counsel shall not deprive the complaining party of any right of action he might otherwise have at law or in equity against the respondent. Those grievances which appear to allege any violation of Part IV, Chapter 1 of the State Bar Rules shall be forwarded to the Investigative Panel or a subcommittee of the Investigative Panel according to Rule 4-204.1.