BOCA RATON Fla., June 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The New England states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont are best among the 50 states at attorney discipline, devoting more resources to addressing and resolving complaints of wrongdoing, according to a study from researchers at Florida Atlantic University.
The study, published in The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, also found that Alabama, New York and Missouri finished with the bottom three composite scores, respectively.
Florida had the seventh-lowest ranking in the U.S., according to the study, which found that low attorney discipline is an indicator of corruption but not a direct measure.
FAU researchers James McNulty, Ph.D., and graduate student Jason Damm, Ph.D., said states with limited discipline have less trustworthy and less predictable legal systems, making it more difficult for businesses to function properly.
The researchers also found a correlation between states committed to disciplining attorneys and long-term economic growth, although there was not a direct link. They suggest more research in this area may prove useful.
“More resources for attorney discipline would probably improve the rates of economic growth for states at the bottom of our rankings,” said McNulty, Emeritus Professor of Finance in FAU’s College of Business. “Those states’ law schools also would be wise to focus more on legal ethics.”
Damm earned a doctoral degree from FAU this year and…
