Yes, some states allow you to do a search online to determine if an attorney has faced discipline. For example, the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility has a section entitled “Online Attorney Directory” at http://www.tbpr.org/Consumers/AttorneySearch/at which you can search attorneys by their names and bar license numbers. If the lawyer has had discipline it will reveal whether a petition for discipline has been filed and whether there was any punishment (such as a public censure) against an attorney.