If there’s one thing everyone working under a professional license should know these days is that you can’t hide out from your troubles in another state.
That’s just one of the lessons being learned by an attorney now living in Arizona. The California Bar has recommended that he be disbarred for numerous issues, including failing to have a license to actually practice law in Arizona despite being open for business.
The attorney had only been a member of the Bar in California since 2011. By 2016, he had been suspended for the failure to pay Bar dues to the state.
He also failed to pay any Bar dues to the state of Arizona, where he was actively practicing law despite not having a valid license in either state.
In 2015, the attorney was brought before an Arizona justice and suspended from practice for a year. He was also supposed to spend two more years on supervised probation before practicing on his own again. In addition, he was required to make restitution totaling over $37,000 to some former clients.
It’s unclear whether any of that actually happened, but California has finally brought down the proverbial hammer on the errant attorney. It sent out an official inquiry, but the attorney never sent back a response. As of Dec. 7, 2017, the state then sent its recommendation ahead to the California Supreme Court for final review and action.
Cases like this illustrate the fact that professionals often have a numerous opportunities for professional rehabilitation after an allegation of misconduct. Abandoning your professional license after working so hard to receive it is unnecessary.
If you’re struggling to maintain your professional license because of a previous lapse in judgment, don’t give up hope for the future. Talk to someone who can advise you about where to go from here.
Source: Northern California Record, “https://norcalrecord.com/stories/511309660-arizona-attorney-faces-disbarment-following-suspension-for-practicing-law-without-license,” Karen Kidd, Jan. 07, 2018