A commission appointed by Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman announced Thursday it will hold three public hearings on New York state's system of attorney discipline and ways to improve it.

Among the issues Lippman has directed the 42-member Commission on Statewide Attorney Discipline to examine is whether a statewide disciplinary system is more desirable than the current discipline committees maintained by each of the four Appellate Divisions; whether more public disclosure of developing disciplinary proceedings is needed; and how the process can be expedited in some cases (NYLJ, Feb. 18).

Lippman has named A. Gail Prudenti, the state's chief administrative judge and LeClairRyan senior counsel Barry Cozier to co-chair the commission (NYLJ, March 31). Cozier is a former Appellate Division, Second Department, justice.