Get a License
Some corporate lawyers forget that they are required to be licensed in the state where they practice law. Indiana has a special rule for that.
In Ohio, David Troller was suspended from practice for failing to register as a lawyer. So after that, he kept practicing law, did not meet the requirements for a suspended lawyer, forgot to get reinstated, and recently got a new two-year suspension, with six months withheld, and was ordered to stay in the Lawyers Assistance Program of Ohio.. As a corporate employee he might have gotten away, but he claimed the title “Chief Legal Officer” which means you are a lawyer.
H/T Andy Perkins.
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Scalia Slapdowns are the worse
Lawyers spend their lives dreaming of taking a case to the US Supreme Court. Some make it, a few wish they hadn’t. Steven Lechner was arguing his first case in the Court, before the nine justices. He was trying to make the points needed by his client when out of the blue, J. Scalia says: “Counsel, you are not reading this, are you?”
Lechner froze, because he was. J. Breyer said: “It’s all right.” and broke the silence.
Scalia is a lightning rod for criticism anyway, and the bolts hit fast. Scalia was lambasted, and supported. Finally the issue was more or less decided that Scalia was right, if not kind, to hold Lechner to the Supreme Court Rule #28, which says in part: “Oral argument read from a prepared text is not favored.”
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Bottle of Red, a Bottle of White, Charged with a Crime, the lawyer must now Fight!
We have written about lawyers doing illegal things a few times, but wine smuggling? Philly lawyer Art Goldman is now charged with Selling Wine without a License, after an undercover investigation showed that he had high-end wines, not found with the state seal, or available in the state-run liquor stores. The police seized about 2,400 bottles of wine, with a value estimated at $200,000. Multiple misdemeanors could result in fines of over $200,000, if he is convicted.
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Blog for Prosecutors and those who deal with them
If you know a prosecutor who needs to read up on the issues that are critical to them, or if you want to eavesdrop on what prosecutors are talking about, you may want to link to the Prosecutors Discretion blog. Recent topics include the Brady Evidence Dilemma, and Why One Prosecutor will not Talk to Jurors. Good reading.
Lawyers with Troubles 
I thought my case (I hired a recently fired ex-prosecutor to file an appeal of a minor misdemeanor conviction; he subsequently abandoned me and I was sentenced to 120 days custody) epitomized ‘legal malpractice’ UNTIL I read this account……
In MY case, my attorney was FIRED after his THIRD DUI issue. I suspect there MAY be a substance abuse issue involved here as well.