Lawyer relinquishes his law license to make a point
A North Carolina lawyer dissatisfied with the legal profession decided to make his point by relinquishing his law license, rather than opting for inactive status.
Former legal-aid lawyer Lewis Pitts succeeded when the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled in October on a new procedure to relinquish bar membership, the Raleigh News & Observer reports. Several lawyers who were gathered for a disciplinary hearing last week read Pitts’ resignation letter, though they refused comment to a reporter for the News & Observer.
Reached by phone, Pitts spoke with the newspaper about his decision. Pitts, 68, said he hoped that giving up his law license would start a conversation about injustices in the justice system. Among his complaints are the high rate of incarceration and differences in representation based on financial wherewithal.
“The bar does little but applaud as big firms make millions; hourly rates on the corporate side are sinful,” Pitts told the newspaper. “The quality of legal representation on either the criminal or civil side depends on the amount of money one has. What a travesty: Millions of people desperately need legal representation while there are a flood of lawyers who cannot find work such that bar associations discuss the crisis of too many law schools.”
“It’s time for our profession to undergo a moral checkup,” he said.
