Opinion ID: 2634050
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Evidence Presented in Support of the Petition for Readmission

Text: Recent Conduct in Support of the Petition for Readmission Over fourteen years have lapsed since Petitioner was disbarred from the practice of law. While Petitioner could have applied for readmission in 2001, he waited until 2006, because he felt he was not ready to resume the practice law. However, approximately one year ago, Petitioner took the following steps to establish his fitness to once again practice law.  In July 2005, Petitioner passed the Colorado Bar Examination, and has also successfully passed the Multi-State Professional Responsibility Examination.  Petitioner has complied with all orders of the court arising out of his disbarment and has complied with all rules and regulation attendant necessary to process his petition.  Petitioner attends weekly therapy sessions with Dr. Jenkins, a clinical psychologist.  Petitioner attends daily Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings.  Petitioner meets weekly with his AA sponsor in addition to attendance at AA meetings.  Petitioner attends weekly CBA Colorado Lawyers Helping Lawyers group meetings.  Petitioner has now paid a substantial amount of the taxes and penalties he owed to the Federal government. [2]  Petitioner has assisted indigent citizens who live near the Park Avenue Law Firm in obtaining eye care and glasses by personally paying for their services.  Petitioner, although not affiliated with a formal charitable program, provided assistance to the homeless by providing them money, shelter, and legal assistance through Mr. Sessions.  Petitioner acted as basketball coach for a boy's league and later served on the board of directors for the recreational facility that hosted the program.  As a paralegal, Petitioner continues to provide excellent legal assistance, including research and writing for Vernon Sessions, a lawyer with fifty years of experience in the practice of law in Denver.  Petitioner testified to his willingness to continue therapy as a condition of his readmission as well as submit to urine analysis. Testimony of Jan Jenkins, Ph.D. In 1992 Petitioner sought counseling and psychotherapy for a total of twenty hours with Jan Jenkins Ph.D., a licensed psychologist. Thereafter, Dr. Jenkins testified on Petitioner's behalf during a sentencing hearing following his conviction of possession of a weapon. In 1992, Dr. Jenkins felt Petitioner was an alcoholic and recommended ongoing alcoholic treatment. She also recommended intensive psychotherapy for the acute psychological trauma after he was robbed at gunpoint. While providing treatment to Petitioner in 1992, Dr. Jenkins found him to be impulsive, self-destructive, and immature. Furthermore, Dr. Jenkins noted Petitioner was interested in practicing law for the status it brought him and that he had not dealt with his abuse of alcohol. Dr. Jenkins noted during her sessions with him that Petitioner's ego was inflamed with a heady sense of his seeming power, success, and invincibility as a newly minted attorney. She opined that this immaturity, in part, led to his willing participation in the purchase of the marijuana described above. After making her initial observations in 1992, Dr. Jenkins did not see or treat Petitioner again until August 2006, shortly before he filed his petition for readmission with the PDJ. For nearly a year, Dr. Jenkins has treated Petitioner in weekly sessions. During this period of time, Dr. Jenkins has noted a difference in Petitioner from the findings she made in 1992. Dr. Jenkins now opines that Petitioner is a different person. She points to the substantial strides he has made in therapy and his capacity to learn from his mistakes. This process has been facilitated by guidance and support regarding his personal and professional life. He is highly motivated to become a reputable member of the Bar and appreciates the necessity of upholding the ethical standards required of a lawyer. Dr. Jenkins finds that Petitioner is not a danger to the public and that he can practice law as long as he continues to abstain from alcohol. In the opinion of Dr. Jenkins, Petitioner is rehabilitated, is fit to practice law, and he should be readmitted to the bar. Testimony of Bennett Aisenberg, Esq. Petitioner met with attorney Bennett Aisenberg twice on or about February 8, 2007, for the purpose of assessing Petitioner's knowledge of the ethical rules in the State of Colorado. Mr. Aisenberg asked Petitioner to review the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct and then tested him using an ethics exam, which originated from the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. Petitioner scored 35 correct out of 41. Mr. Aisenberg discussed the incorrect answers with Petitioner, some of which Mr. Aisenberg himself questioned whether the correct answer was actually correct under Colorado law. Mr. Aisenberg found that Petitioner had a a very good overall knowledge of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Testimony of Rodney Borwick Mr. Borwick is a lawyer who has practiced in the Park Avenue Law Building for twenty-five years. He has known Petitioner both as a lawyer and as a paralegal during that time. In Mr. Borwick's opinion, Petitioner has experienced a lot of personal growth and is committed to getting his license back. Mr. Borwick has seen Petitioner grow professionally as a result of Mr. Sessions' mentoring. Mr. Borwick's believes Petitioner is a man of integrity and would trust him with court appearances on his behalf. Testimony of Evelyn Sessions Mrs. Sessions is the wife of Vernon Sessions. She has managed the Park Avenue Law Firm since its inception approximately fifty years ago. In that capacity, she has worked with Petitioner for more than twenty years. She views Petitioner as trustworthy and conscientious and an asset to the community. She thinks of Petitioner as a son. Testimony of Robert Driscoll Mr. Driscoll is a lawyer who was suspended from 1992-2003 for substance abuse. In September 2003, he was reinstated after demonstrating by clear and convincing evidence his abstinence, rehabilitation, and fitness to practice law. Mr. Driscoll first met Petitioner at the CBA's Colorado Lawyers Helping Lawyers meetings and is now Petitioner's AA mentor. Mr. Driscoll meets with Petitioner three times a week and one of these meetings is face-to-face., Mr. Driscoll believes Petitioner would be a tremendous asset to the legal community and has no questions about Petitioner's fitness to practice law as long as he remains sober. Mr. Driscoll also testified that in his view Petitioner had been rehabilitated and that his commitment to sobriety is very strong. In this regard, Mr. Driscoll would recommend that Petitioner continue meeting with AA weekly, submit to urine analysis, and continued psychotherapy. Testimony of Vernon Sessions Mr. Sessions has practiced in Denver for approximately fifty years at the same location, the Park Avenue Law Firm. Mr. Sessions has known Petitioner since he graduated from law school and was employed as a lawyer and paralegal at the Park Avenue Law Firm. Petitioner has worked directly with Mr. Sessions since 1997. While working with Mr. Sessions, Petitioner has sought guidance and mentoring and credits Mr. Sessions with providing him with the structure and direction that he lacked in his early career. Mr. Sessions corroborates Petitioner's testimony that he is no longer associating with people who negatively influenced his behavior in the past. Mr. Sessions testified that Petitioner is hard working, reliable, trustworthy, bright, organized, and excellent with clients. Mr. Sessions also testified that even as a paralegal, Petitioner makes him look good with quality legal research and writing. Mr. Sessions is so confident in Petitioner's fitness to practice law and rehabilitation that he intends to make Petitioner a partner in his law practice and one day turn it over to him. Testimony of Raymond McCleery Dr. McCleery is an optometrist who owns Peepers Optical. He has known Petitioner for approximately eighteen years and commends him for the financial assistance Petitioner has provided the poor who need eye glasses, approximately one per year for the past several years. Dr. McCleery supports Petitioner's application for readmission and if Petitioner were readmitted, Dr. McCleery would hire him. Testimony of Petitioner Petitioner grew up in Wray, Colorado and graduated from high school in 1976. He later attended the University of Denver and received a degree in political science in 1983. In 1985, Petitioner graduated from the University of Denver College of Law and received a degree in international relations and law. Ray Miller hired Petitioner immediately after Petitioner passed the Colorado Bar Examination. According to the undisputed evidence, Mr. Miller was not a good mentor for Petitioner. Petitioner described him as a real estate lawyer and a wheeler-dealer. Following his disbarment in 1993, Petitioner described a period of total wandering. Although he continued to work as a law clerk for Mr. Sessions following Mr. Miller's death in 1993, Petitioner initially failed to make any significant changes in his life. He continued to drink sporadically and associate with people who also drank and were generally not good role models. Approximately one year ago, Petitioner finally began in earnest to change his group of associates and deal with his drinking problem, albeit in a manner other than that recommended by Dr. Jenkins or Dr. Packard. Petitioner now recognizes that he fettered away his privilege to practice law because of his immaturity and a false sense of grandiosity. He now views Mr. Sessions as a role model and intends, if readmitted, to practice law with Mr. Sessions. As outlined above, Petitioner testified to the steps he has taken within the last year toward rehabilitation. Testimony of Nancy Miller Mrs. Miller is the wife of Ray Miller, the first lawyer Petitioner worked for at the Park Avenue Law Building. Mrs. Miller viewed Petitioner as a young lawyer caught in her deceased husband's lifestyle, which included big spending and clients she described as seedy. She believes her husband was a poor role model for Petitioner who tried to emulate his practice. She has seen a remarkable change in Petitioner since those early days of his legal career and would trust him to represent her if he was readmitted to the practice of law. Report from Michele Packard, Ph.D. Dr. Packard's report raises questions about Petitioner's consumption of alcohol; Petitioner has admitted to the doctor that he has experienced blackouts after drinking to excess in the past. Dr. Packard stated in her report that blackouts are a sign of a serious drinking problem even if the drinking is sporadic and followed by periods of abstinence. Dr. Packard recommended that Petitioner attend an outpatient treatment at Arapahoe House.