Week of 9/26

Attorney and paralegal misconduct

Unauthorized practice of law.

Padding client bills.

Failure to act competently.

Improperly influence a government official.

Engage in dishonest conduct.

These are just a few ways in which lawyers or paralegals can misbehave within their professions.  As in any field, there are individuals who perform with the utmost honesty and integrity, and others who give the profession a poor name.  In this blog, we will examine those attorneys who have stepped over to the metaphorical dark side.  We must also remember, though that each of us may be tempted at some point in our careers to act unethically, or may be put in a position in which we have to remind a co-worker or boss of their ethical duties.

So what makes an attorney or paralegal go bad (or make an ethical mistake)?  For some it may be a long time coming.  For others it was moment of poor judgment.  For still others it might be the temptation of money or power.

One Ohio attorney was indefinitely suspended form the practice of law by the Ohio Supreme Court for transferring money from an estate for which he was the executor.  In a series of eight checks he transferred nearly $10,000 into a personal account.  For that crime, he lost the ability to work in his career until all the money was returned and his reinstatement was approved.  Sign in to Lexis to find the case here.

While the power of money is strong, the loss of one’s profession and respect in that career is much more valuable.

This blog is prepared by a paralegal student as a class project, without compensation. The content of this blog contains my opinion, and is offered for personal interest without warranty of any kind. Comments posted by others on this blog are the responsibility of the posters of those messages. The reader is solely responsible for verifying the content of this blog and any linked information. Content, sources, information, and links will most likely change over time. The content of this blog may not be construed as legal, medical, business, or personal advice.