Legal community 'bamboozled' by woman who allegedly posed as attorney for years
A former paralegal is under investigation for the unlicensed practice of law for allegedly holding herself out as an attorney in Chatham County, Georgia, for a period of years. (Image from Shutterstock)
A former paralegal is under investigation for the unlicensed practice of law for allegedly holding herself out as an attorney in Chatham County, Georgia, for a period of years.
Nicole Sharong Johnston is under investigation by the State Bar of Georgia and the Chatham County, Georgia, district attorney, according to a report by WTOC.
The story reports that “many members of the local legal community say they’ve been bamboozled” by Johnston’s claim to be a lawyer.
Chatham County lawyer Amy DeLozier told WTOC that she hired Johnston based on her representation that she was a law school graduate who had been admitted to the bar.
Johnston was working as a paralegal for a judge in Effingham County, Georgia, when DeLozier first met her. At that time, Johnston allegedly told DeLozier that she was a law student.
While Johnston was working for DeLozier, she “handled mediations, drafted pleading[s], gave legal advice and appeared in court as an attorney,” DeLozier told the broadcast station.
Some clients of DeLozier’s law firm also said in affidavits Johnston held herself out as a lawyer and collected legal fees from them.
DeLozier said she fired Johnston in November 2023 after learning that she didn’t have a Georgia law license. DeLozier reported her to the Savannah Police Department and the bar.
When WTOC asked Johnston for comment, she asked whether the broadcast station was trying to “ruin her.” Johnston indicated that an attorney would comment to WTOC on her behalf, but no attorney ever called.
