Title: Board of Attorneys Professional Responsibility v. Thomas E. Zablocki

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

2006 WI 8 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
1996AP3700-D 
 
 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Thomas E. Zablocki, Attorney at Law: 
 
 
Board of Attorneys Professional Responsibility 
n/k/a Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Thomas E. Zablocki, 
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST ZABLOCKI 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
January 27, 2006   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
      
 
 
2006 WI 8
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  1996AP3700-D  
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Thomas E. Zablocki, Attorney at Law: 
 
Board of Attorneys Professional Responsibility 
n/k/a Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Thomas E. Zablocki, 
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
JAN 27, 2006 
 
Cornelia G. Clark 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY reinstatement proceeding.  Reinstatement granted. 
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   We review the recommendation of the 
referee that Thomas E. Zablocki's license to practice law in 
Wisconsin be reinstated upon satisfaction of certain conditions.  
Having ascertained that the conditions recommended by the 
referee have been satisfied, we adopt the referee's findings of 
fact and conclusions of law and agree with his recommendation to 
reinstate Attorney Zablocki's license to practice law.  In 
addition, we find it appropriate that Attorney Zablocki pay the 
No. 
1996AP3700-D   
 
2 
 
costs of the reinstatement proceeding, which are $5137.85 as of 
August 4, 2005. 
¶2 
Attorney Zablocki was admitted to the practice of law 
in Wisconsin in 1968.  In 1995 he consented to a private 
reprimand from the former Board of Attorneys Professional 
Responsibility (Board).  On June 24, 1998, this court suspended 
Attorney Zablocki's license to practice law in Wisconsin for six 
months, effective August 10, 1998, for various disciplinary 
violations, including failure to maintain a client trust 
account, 
depositing 
client 
funds 
into 
personal 
checking 
accounts, diverting client funds for his own purposes, and 
failing to cooperate with the Board's investigation.  See In re 
Disciplinary Proceedings Against Zablocki, 219 Wis. 2d 313, 579 
N.W.2d 233 (1998).  There were significant aggravating factors 
associated with this suspension.   
¶3 
Subsequently, 
while 
under 
suspension, 
Attorney 
Zablocki received a public reprimand for misconduct committed in 
the course of his representation of a couple involved in a 
divorce proceeding, where he violated various disciplinary rules 
by representing one of the parties in a bankruptcy case while 
simultaneously representing the other in the divorce proceeding.  
He also failed to notify either party, or the courts, of his 
then imminent suspension, failed to refund the portion of the 
advance fee payment for the bankruptcy that he had not fully 
earned, and failed to keep complete records of trust account 
funds.  See In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against Zablocki, 
2001 WI 115, 247 Wis. 2d 994, 635 N.W.2d 288. 
No. 
1996AP3700-D   
 
3 
 
¶4 
Attorney Zablocki petitioned for reinstatement of his 
license to practice law on August 27, 2004.1  Following a hearing 
in 
February 
2005 
the 
referee 
submitted 
a 
report 
and 
recommendation, conditionally recommending reinstatement.  The 
Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) opposed the petition, although 
no appeal was filed. 
¶5 
SCR 22.31(1) provides the standard to be met for 
reinstatement of a law license.  Specifically, the referee 
noted, that the petitioner must meet his or her burden of 
demonstrating "by clear, satisfactory and convincing evidence" 
that he or she has the moral character to practice law, that his 
or her resumption of the practice of law will not be detrimental 
to the administration of justice or subversive of the public 
interest, and that he or she has complied with SCR 22.26 and the 
terms of the suspension.  In addition to these requirements, SCR 
22.29(4) sets forth related requirements that a petition for 
reinstatement must show.  All of these additional requirements 
are effectively incorporated into SCR 22.31(1).  
¶6 
The referee concluded that Attorney Zablocki had met 
nearly all of the criteria for reinstatement and concluded that 
he had met his burden of demonstrating that his license to 
practice law in Wisconsin should be reinstated.  At the time the 
report and recommendation was filed, Attorney Zablocki averred 
that he had satisfied the continuing legal educational (CLE) 
                                                 
1 In 
December 
1998 
Attorney 
Zablocki 
commenced 
a 
reinstatement 
proceeding, 
but 
the 
matter 
was 
ultimately 
dismissed because Zablocki failed to pursue the matter.  
No. 
1996AP3700-D   
 
4 
 
requirements necessary for reinstatement, but had not yet 
obtained a certification from the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) 
demonstrating satisfaction of this requirement.  In addition, 
Attorney Zablocki had not yet paid the costs relating to his 
previous public reprimand.   
¶7 
The 
referee 
thus 
recommended 
Attorney 
Zablocki's 
reinstatement be contingent upon receipt of a certification from 
the BBE indicating that Attorney Zablocki had completed his CLE 
requirements and evidence that he had entered into a payment 
plan with the OLR. 
¶8 
By order dated October 21, 2005, the court directed 
Attorney Zablocki to provide evidence that he had satisfied 
these conditions within 30 days, or face dismissal of his 
petition. 
 
Attorney 
Zablocki 
filed 
a 
timely 
response 
demonstrating that he has paid the outstanding OLR costs in the 
amount of $6935.65.   
¶9 
The court also received a letter from the BBE 
indicating that Attorney Zablocki has satisfied the requisite 
CLE requirements and recommending his reinstatement.  
¶10 After a review of the record we conclude that Thomas 
E. 
Zablocki 
has 
established 
by 
clear, 
satisfactory 
and 
convincing evidence that he has now satisfied all the criteria 
necessary 
for 
reinstatement. 
 
Accordingly, 
we 
adopt 
the 
referee's findings of fact and conclusions of law and we agree 
with 
the 
referee's 
recommendation 
to 
reinstate 
Attorney 
Zablocki's license to practice law in Wisconsin. 
No. 
1996AP3700-D   
 
5 
 
¶11 IT IS ORDERED that the petition for reinstatement of 
the license of Thomas E. Zablocki to practice law in Wisconsin 
is granted, effective the date of this order. 
¶12 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that within 60 days of the date 
of this order Thomas E. Zablocki shall pay to the Office of 
Lawyer Regulation the costs of this proceeding.  If the costs 
are not paid within the time specified and absent a showing to 
this court of his inability to pay the costs within that time, 
the license of Thomas E. Zablocki to practice law in Wisconsin 
shall be suspended until further order of the court. 
 
No. 
1996AP3700-D   
 
 
 
1