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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURT OF APPEALS

No. 17-BG-436

IN RE BERNARD C. COLEMAN,JR., RESPONDENT.

A Member of the Bar

of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals

(Bar Registration No. 437011)

On Report and Recommendation of the Board on Professional Responsibility 

Ad Hoc Hearing Committee

Approving Petition for Negotiated Discipline 

(DDN 151-15)

(Decided: June 29, 2017)

Before GLICKMAN and MCLEESE, Associate Judges, and FARRELL, Senior 

Judge.

PER CURIAM: This decision is non-precedential. Please refer to D.C. Bar R. 

XI, § 12.1 (d) governing the appropriate citation of this opinion.

In this disciplinary matter, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals Board 

on Professional Responsibility Ad Hoc Hearing Committee (“the Committee”) 

recommends approval of a petition for negotiated attorney discipline. The 
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violations stem from respondent Bernard C. Coleman, Jr.’s professional 

misconduct arising from acts or omissions during the course of his representation 

of multiple clients in consolidated civil actions. 

Respondent acknowledged that, in addition to knowingly revealing 

information that would likely be detrimental to his clients, he failed to (1) provide 

competent representation and serve his clients with skill and care; (2) zealously 

represent his clients; (3) act with reasonable promptness; and (4) communicate 

with his clients, thereby violating Rules 1.1 (a) & (b), 1.3 (a) & (c), 1.4 (a) & (b), 

and 1.6 (a) of the District of Columbia Rules of Professional Conduct. The 

Committee considered the following circumstances in mitigation: (1) respondent

provided his clients with his malpractice insurance information; (2) respondent 

took full responsibility and demonstrated remorse for his actions; (3) respondent 

cooperated with Disciplinary Counsel’s investigation; (4) respondent actively 

pursued his clients’ claims; (5) respondent demonstrated no evidence of 

dishonesty; and (6) respondent had no prior disciplinary history. As a result, 

Disciplinary Counsel and respondent negotiated the imposition of discipline in the 

form of a thirty-day suspension, stayed, and one year of supervised probation

during which respondent must (1) contact the District of Columbia Bar’s Practice 

Management Advisory Service (“PMAS”) within thirty days from the date of this 
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opinion to schedule an assessment; (2) meet with and obtain an assessment from 

PMAS and comply with and implement any PMAS recommendations; (3) provide 

PMAS with a signed release waiving confidentiality so PMAS may communicate 

with Disciplinary Counsel regarding respondent; (4) attend ten hours of continuing 

legal education classes offered by the D.C. Bar that Disciplinary Counsel 

preapproves, and submit proof of attendance to Disciplinary Counsel within thirty 

days of attendance; and (5) not be the subject of a disciplinary complaint that 

results in a finding that he violated the disciplinary rules of any jurisdiction in 

which he is licensed to practice. After reviewing the petition for negotiated 

discipline, considering a supporting affidavit, and conducting a limited hearing, the 

Committee concluded that the petition for negotiated discipline should be 

approved. 

 We accept the Committee’s recommendation because the Committee 

properly applied D.C. Bar R. XI, § 12.1 (c), and we find no error in the 

Committee’s determination. Based upon the record before the court, the negotiated 

discipline of a thirty-day suspension from the practice of law, stayed, and one year 

of supervised probation with the conditions set forth above is not unduly lenient 
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considering the existence of mitigating factors and the discipline imposed by this 

court for similar actions.1 

In accordance with our procedures in uncontested disciplinary cases, we 

agree this case is appropriate for negotiated discipline, and we accept the 

Committee’s recommendation. Accordingly, it is

ORDERED that Bernard C. Coleman, Jr. be, and hereby is suspended from 

the practice of law in the District of Columbia for thirty days, stayed, and is placed 

on one year of supervised probation during which respondent must (1) contact the 

 

1

In re Mance, 869 A.2d 339 (D.C. 2005) (suspending an attorney for thirty 

days with the suspension conditionally stayed during a one-year probationary 

period after the attorney (1) failed to timely pursue a client’s case on appeal or 

protect his client’s rights; (2) neglected to move to have his client’s sentence 

reduced based on merger; (3) failed to communicate with his client; and (4) 

delayed moving to withdraw from the case after the client sought to terminate his 

engagement); In re Dunietz, 687 A.2d 206 (D.C. 1996) (concluding a thirty-day

suspension, with a stay conditioned upon satisfactory completion of a two-year 

probationary period, was warranted for an attorney, with no prior discipline 

history, who neglected a single client by failing to act promptly, pursue the client’s 

objectives, and communicate with the client).
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District of Columbia Bar’s Practice Management Advisory Service (“PMAS”) 

within thirty days from the date of this opinion to schedule an assessment; (2) meet 

with and obtain an assessment from PMAS and comply with and implement any 

PMAS recommendations; (3) provide PMAS with a signed release waiving 

confidentiality so PMAS may communicate with Disciplinary Counsel regarding 

respondent; (4) attend ten hours of continuing legal education classes offered by 

the D.C. Bar that Disciplinary Counsel preapproves and submit proof of attendance 

to Disciplinary Counsel within thirty days of attendance; and (5) not be the subject 

of a disciplinary complaint that results in a finding that he violated a disciplinary 

rule of any jurisdiction in which he is licensed to practice. 

So ordered.