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2010 Ethics Review

/ 12.Jan, 2012

The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has published its year end statistics.  Discipline last year included:

  • 55 Informal Admonitions
  • 16 Private Reprimands
  • 8 Probations
  • 2 Public Censure
  • 34 Suspensions
  • 45 Disbarments
  • 106 Reinstatements Granted
  • 1 Reinstatement Denied

The 45 disbarments are the most in Pennsylvania’s history, at least since 1973 (although not completely linear, the number of disbarments has increased with the number of lawyers in the Commonwealth).  The disciplinary decisions of the Supreme Court in the last sixty days include, among others, an attorney who overdrew her IOLTA account and did not respond to clients’ inquiries about their cases; an attorney who failed to appear for a private reprimand; and an attorney who allowed a client to give testimony he knew was false, and did not honor a letter of protection to a doctor.  Many of the legal malpractice and professional liability themes most commonly repeated on this blog are found in these opinions, communicating with clients, taking care of client funds, and responding to problems when they arise.

Josh J.T. Byrne, Esquire

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