For years, Georgia attorneys specializing in legal malpractice cases have complained that too many of their fellow lawyers are placing themselves and their clients at risk by failing to maintain professional liability insurance.

Georgia is one of several states with no requirement that lawyers carry insurance or disclose that fact to the public. Now, the State Bar of Georgia is taking steps toward understanding how pervasive the problem is, with a a study committee of more than a dozen lawyers from around the state set to meet Monday to take up the issue.