Opinion ID: 2021106
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: The Harm to the Public and the Legal Profession

Text: We must also consider any harm Redburn's actions have caused to the public and the legal profession. We have noted that, regardless of whether an attorney's misconduct jeopardize[s] the client's position with respect to a claim, a lawyer's failure to communicate with the client and misrepresentations regarding the status of a pending case are intensely frustrating to the client, reflect adversely on the bar, and are destructive of public confidence in the legal profession. In re Shaughnessy, 467 N.W.2d 620, 621 (Minn.1991). At least two of Redburn's clients were forced to obtain new counsel on their own and M.M. has been forced to pursue a judgment against Redburn for his failure to pay her fee. We therefore conclude that Redburn's misconduct injured the public and legal profession.