Lawyer Discipline

Afternoon Briefs: Stand-your-ground laws are questioned; lawyer will visit beaches as Grim Reaper

Stand-your-ground laws are associated with more homicides, report finds Evidence suggests that stand-your-ground laws are associated with increases in gun homicides, according to a review of scientific literature by the RAND Corp. As of January, more than two-thirds of states had stand-your-ground laws or had expanded the castle doctrine to…

Apr 24, 2020 3:09 PM CDT

Lawyer can’t be reinstated to law practice unless he shows wife has no access to accounts

A New Jersey lawyer must provide proof that his wife has no access to his accounts, books or records before he can be reinstated after a three-month suspension, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled.

Apr 22, 2020 9:36 AM CDT

Judge is sanctioned for rainbow flag and congratulatory Facebook posts

A judge in San Antonio, Texas, has received a private warning for displaying a rainbow flag in her courtroom and a public admonition for using Facebook to congratulate winning lawyers.

Apr 17, 2020 12:13 PM CDT

Administrative law judge is accused of insubordination and suspended for footnotes

A Florida administrative law judge was suspended by his agency for five days because of footnotes.

Apr 7, 2020 10:35 AM CDT

2 judges resign after pleading guilty to felonies of attempted underwear theft and tax evasion

A New York judge who pleaded guilty in an attempted panty theft last year has resigned from the bench, as has another New York judge accused of failing to file tax returns for 10 years.

Apr 6, 2020 12:02 PM CDT

Disbarred attorneys trying to get their licenses back face an uphill battle

It’s often said the ability to practice law is a privilege, not a right. It’s difficult enough to obtain a law license, and losing one can be devastating both personally and professionally. Attorneys who face the ignominy of disbarment and later seek reinstatement face high hurdles that are sometimes insurmountable.

Apr 1, 2020 1:00 AM CDT

Lawyer who used gay slur to refer to judge should get stayed suspension, opinion says

A Colorado lawyer should receive a stayed suspension for referring to a judge as a "gay, fat, f- -" in an email to two clients, according to an opinion by the judge appointed to preside in discipline matters.

Mar 30, 2020 3:36 PM CDT

Lawyer who interrupted deposition 145 times is ordered to pay $1,000 and attorney fees

A Louisiana lawyer who interrupted a deposition 145 times and made 106 objections will have to pay for the conduct.

Mar 30, 2020 12:39 PM CDT

Judge is censured for ‘crass’ and ‘sexist’ remarks, comment with ‘racial overtones’

A California judge has been censured after commenting on “smoking hot” women, proclaiming that he had the "biggest balls in the courthouse" and making other inappropriate remarks.

Mar 26, 2020 2:20 PM CDT

Several states postpone attorney discipline hearings because of the coronavirus

Several states, including two of the top three states with the largest number of lawyers, have postponed attorney discipline case hearings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mar 24, 2020 11:09 AM CDT

Lawyer suspended for boosting law school grades in Williams & Connolly application

The New Jersey Supreme Court has suspended a lawyer who falsified a law school transcript when he sought a job with Williams & Connolly.

Mar 19, 2020 9:44 AM CDT

Lawyer who let judge use his beach house wins reinstatement

A Pennsylvania lawyer has won reinstatement to practice after his suspension for letting a Luzerne County judge use his beach house in exchange for the appointment of a favorable arbitrator.

Mar 17, 2020 1:14 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Bar assault leads to suspension; lawyer reprimanded for punch threat

Former prosecutor suspended for bar assault A New York appeals court has imposed a two-month suspension on a former prosecutor in New York County after his conviction for getting into a physical fight with a woman at a bar. Eli Karl Cherkasky said he reacted after the woman hit him…

Mar 12, 2020 4:31 PM CDT

Top tips to have more effective follow-up with potential clients

Have you ever sent an email to a prospective client and not received a reply? Perhaps, you followed up by sending another email or two, and after still not hearing anything in response, you gave up. All too often, lawyers drop the ball when it comes to effectively following up…

Mar 12, 2020 12:59 PM CDT

California judge faces misconduct charges spanning eight years

A California judge faces six counts of misconduct for engaging in “undignified, discourteous and offensive sexualized (or otherwise crude)” behavior and making improper comments to defendants, lawyers and courthouse staff over a period of eight years, according to the state’s judicial disciplinary commission.

Mar 6, 2020 10:10 AM CST