Opinion ID: 3194599
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Ethical Duty

Text: The hearing panel concluded that Hawkins violated her duty to M.S., a client, by failing to properly terminate representation. The panel also concluded that Hawkins violated her duty to the public to maintain her personal integrity and her duty to the legal system to expedite litigation consistent with the interests of her client. As indicated above, Hawkins violated her duty to a client by failing to (1) forward documents to M.S.'s subsequent attorney and (2) timely refund unearned legal fees to M.S. Hawkins violated her duty to the public to maintain her personal integrity by (1) denying that she called Olberding and told her that neither she nor B.S. would be attending the May 9 hearing; and (2) filing a temporary order which she falsely claimed was approved by opposing counsel. Hawkins violated her duty to the legal system to expedite litigation consistent with the interests of her clients by (1) failing to timely respond to requests from Butler to schedule a hearing to resolve the child support issue between B.S. and A.S.; (2) causing the district court to rule on the child support issue without hearing testimony from B.S. or arguments from Hawkins; (3) filing an initial temporary parenting plan that did not reflect the interests or the position of J.G.; and (4) improperly directing J.G. not to answer questions posed to her at a deposition.