Opinion ID: 2453320
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Iowa Bar and Iowa Supreme Court

Text: Nash graduated from Creighton Law School in the spring of 2006. Nash applied to sit for the Iowa Bar, where he was initially denied. Thus began a series of probes into Nash's background, first in Iowa and now in Alaska. As part of the Iowa process, a 2006 psychiatric exam of Nash concluded as follows: I find no evidence that Mr. Nash suffers from any diagnosable psychiatric disorder of any sort. Further, I find no evidence that Mr. Nash presents a risk of perpetrating abuse of any type upon any individual, minor or adult. Finally, I find no evidence that Mr. Nash possesses any mental disorder or personality traits which would, in any way, impair his ability to maintain the moral character and honesty expected of an Iowa Lawyer.[ [6] ] In addition to the exam and a subsequent test to assess Nash's honesty during the exam, the psychiatrist reviewed a thick file of background information on Nash, all of which is now in the record before this court. As further evidence of his character, Nash submitted to the Iowa Bar nearly 80 letters of recommendation. [7] Forty-seven letters were submitted to the Alaska Bar. These letters are compelling. It appears that Nash has been forthright regarding the allegations against him, because most of the letters discuss the sexual abuse allegations, and proceed to document Nash's character comprehensively. The letters are generally impressive in their breadth and depth, and on the whole appear genuinely personal and reflective. Several people with lifelong ties to Nash speak to his trustworthiness and integrity, as do many who have known Nash only during his law career. They present a thoughtful, caring portrait of Nash. The following are representative of the letters recommending Nash to the bar. Francis Hurley, the Archbishop Emeritus of Anchorage and a former bishop of Juneau, was supportive of Nash's bar application and wrote as a family friend, a supervisor, and a church officialperhaps the only person presenting first-hand knowledge of Nash's early years as a priest. Patrick Borchers, dean of Creighton Law School, was familiar with law and the church, and his professional responsibility included giving references to students so that they may sit for the bar. He discussed the credibility of J.P.'s allegations, the nature of the Diocese of Juneau's settlement with J.P., Nash's departure from the priesthood, and Nash's admitted-to acts, and concluded by supporting Nash's application to the Iowa Bar. Notably, in addition to being someone with experience making moral-character recommendations, Borchers demonstrated an informed perspective on child abuse and the church. Reverend Mark Henslee worked with Nash as a pastor in Southeast Alaska in the 1990s, and attested to the high moral character, integrity, and maintenance of appropriate boundaries Nash displayed. Patricia Douglass of the Alaska Public Defender Agency, where Nash worked in the summer of 2005, spoke to his conscientiousness and responsible habits practicing law, his effective work with the community, and his dedication. And Ronald Volkmer, a professor at Creighton, made a persuasive argument that [u]ntil a fact-finding body accords Michael Nash due process of law in regard to these charges Nash should be presumed innocent according to fundamental notions of fairness. As noted above, Nash's application to the Iowa Bar was originally rejected. Nash then requested a hearing before the Iowa Board of Bar Examiners. Much of the evidence noted above was addressed before the board. Upon considering all of the evidence, the board was evenly split: Three members favored Nash's admission and three opposed it. Under Iowa law, the split vote affirmed the earlier decision denying Nash's application. Nash then appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court. As in Alaska, an applicant for admission to the Iowa Bar bears the burden of showing his or her fitness to practice law. [8] Also as in Alaska, the board makes the initial determination of fitness to practice law but the supreme court exercises final authority in the matter. [9] Upon review of the entire record, the Supreme Court of Iowa concluded: We have a duty to the citizens of Iowa to ensure the practice of law is reserved for individuals who will respect the trust inherent in the lawyer-client relationship. We conclude Michael Nash has established by a convincing preponderance of the evidence he possesses the requisite moral character and fitness for admission to the Iowa bar. We therefore grant his application to take the Iowa bar examination.[ [10] ]