Lawyer’s Debt to Client Protection Fund Not Dischargeable in Bankruptcy
A debt owed by a lawyer to a bar association client protection fund is not dischargeable in bankruptcy. See Virginia ex rel. Va. State Bar v. Young (In re Young), No. …
Lawyer Disbarred for Killing “Snoopy”
New York City lawyer Anthony A. Pastor was disbarred for violently killing his girlfriend’s poodle “Snoopy.” See Matter of Pastor, 2017 NY Slip Op 06729, (App. Div. 1st Dept. Sep. 28, 2017). The …
U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Louisiana Case on Authority of Lawyer to Concede Client’s Guilt in Death Penalty Case
On September 28, 2017, the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari in McCoy v. Louisiana, No. 16-8255 to decide whether it is ineffective assistance of counsel under the Sixth Amendment …
Lawyer-Cop in Danziger Case Permanently Resigns from Practice of Law
Ken Bowen, a lawyer and former New Orleans Police Officer, permanently resigned from the practice of law effective June 5, 2017. See In re Kenneth R. Bowen, LASC No. 2017-OB-0712 (Jun. 5, …
Use of Fake Subpoenas by Louisiana District Attorneys is Apparently Not Uncommon
In April, Charles Maldonado at The Lens exposed the use of fake subpoenas by the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office, and the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office. See Charles Maldonado, Orleans Parish Prosecutors are …
Orleans Parish DA is Using Fake Subpoenas
Charles Maldonado at The Lens has an interesting report on the use of fake subpoenas by the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office. The office issues self-described “SUBPOENAS” and summons recipients to …
Clarify That Any Discount on a Legal Bill is Conditioned on Prompt Payment
Over the course of representing a client, the Boston law firm BourgeoisWhite, LLP, extended various “professional courtesy credits” to its client on legal bills. These discounts totalled more than $29,944 …
Failure to Pay Litigation-Related Expenses Can be Disciplinary Misconduct
Can the failure to pay a court reporter’s invoice be sanctionable misconduct “prejudicial to the adminstration of justice”? Yes, according to a recent order by the Louisiana Supreme Court. See In re …
Lawyer’s Comment That “I Hope We Work Together” is Not Enough to Form “Prospective Client” Relationship
After a brief phone conversation about the possibility of serving as local counsel in a defamation matter, a would-be client sent a lawyer an email with the names of the …
Disbarment for Phone Sex
On January 4, 2017, the New Jersey Supreme Court disbarred a lawyer for, among other things, using client trust funds to pay for phone sex. See In re James P. Madden, …