Opinion ID: 2053809
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Attorney's Conduct Since Discipline.

Text: Contrary to the Board's conclusion, petitioner argues that his conduct since disbarment has demonstrated his fitness to resume the practice of law. According to his testimony, he spent the first four years following disbarment out of the country engaged in aviation and cargo business ventures. Petitioner recounts his return to this country and how he represented himself pro se in certain legal matters. Petitioner also testified that he assisted other practicing attorneys in preparing documents and pleadings for medical malpractice cases. To avoid the pitfalls of the past, petitioner stated that if readmitted to the Bar, he would not handle fiduciary cases ( e.g., guardianships, conservatorships, or receiverships). He plans to engage in a personal injury, medical malpractice, and products liability practice, associating with other attorneys who have established bookkeeping systems. Petitioner also indicated that he plans to use bookkeepers and accountants or similar experts in his practice and that he is aware of the need to maintain separate accounts for client funds. Bar Counsel argues the position taken by the Board that petitioner had a long period of time outside of the United States which has not been fully explained. This, according to the Board and Bar Counsel, reflect adversely on petitioner's conduct since disbarment. Moreover, he did not attend professional education courses and failed to file the section 14 affidavit. While weighing against petitioner his failure to attend professional courses in reviewing petitioner's conduct since discipline was imposed, the Board finds those same practical experiences compelling in demonstrating petitioner's competence to practice law. The Board states in its report While attendance at continuing legal education programs is undoubtedly worthwhile evidence concerning the attorney's present competence, practical experience and education such as [p]etitioner received during the past four years can be equally, if not more, probative of an attorney's skills. We see no reason to accord less consideration to these experiences for purposes of the third Roundtree factor than we do for the fifth. The record is not devoid of evidence of petitioner's business activities abroad. At any rate, petitioner has been back in the country since 1988. Therefore, there has been a long period during which he has engaged in activities related to the legal profession which can form the basis of a full assessment of the steps he has taken to remedy past wrongs. While petitioner's failure to file the section 14 affidavit is a factor which weighs against him, considering that there appears to have been no adverse consequences as a result thereof and that he has now filed the affidavit, this fact alone is insufficient to bar a ruling in petitioner's favor on the third Roundtree factor. [11]