Opinion ID: 1288964
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Compliance with the Suspension Order

Text: In our 1991 order suspending Mose from the practice of law, we conditioned his reinstatement on, among other things: 1. complying with Rule 26, RLPR; 2. successfully completing the Minnesota bar examination; 3. satisfying CLE requirements pursuant to Rule 18(e), RLPR; 4. refunding unearned retainers to three clients; 5. fully complying with the terms of our July 18, 1989 discipline order. Mose, 470 N.W.2d at 110. Our previous order required Mose to, among other things, (1) complete a course in family law and a course in professional responsibility; (2) complete a 4- or 8-day course in trial advocacy skills; (3) complete 30 CLE credits; and (4) certify to the Director that he made restitution to two clients. Mose, 443 N.W.2d at 192. The panel concluded that Mose failed to (1) comply with Rule 26, RLPR; (2) comply with his CLE reporting requirement; (3) pay his lawyer registration fee; and (4) pay restitution to two clients. It is not disputed that Mose successfully completed the Minnesota bar examination and that he completed a course on family law and one on professional responsibility. Rule 26(a), RLPR, required Mose to notify his clients of his suspension. The Director asserted, and the panel found, that Mose failed to notify his clients of his suspension and instead vacated his law office without notice. But the Director's report references clients whom Mose failed to tell about his 1990 suspension. Mose was already disciplined for his failure to notify those clients when we suspended him in 1991. Mose, 470 N.W.2d at 109. Nowhere in the record does it indicate that Mose violated the Rule 26 notification requirements after his 1991 suspension. Because Mose was already disciplined for his 1990 violations of Rule 26, these violations should not prevent him from reinstatement if he is able to meet the other reinstatement requirements. The same is true of the retainers Mose took from clients after his 1990 suspension  Mose was already disciplined for this misconduct in 1991, Id., and did not commit any further similar misconduct after his 1991 suspension. Nevertheless, Mose still owes restitution to two clients, and we conditioned his reinstatement on payment of that restitution. Id. at 110. Further, Mose testified and submitted an affidavit showing that he has earned 60.5 CLE credits, but Mose failed to report these credits to the Board of Continuing Legal Education. While we recognize that Mose's earned CLE credits, if reported, would satisfy the CLE requirements we imposed on him, we note that CLE credits must be reported before an attorney may be reinstated. Rule 18(e)(4), RLPR; Rule 9, Rules of the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education. Finally, Mose attended a 4-day trial advocacy course, which was a condition of his reinstatement. But he missed parts of 2 days of the course and therefore did not fully complete the course as we required. Because Mose did not pay restitution to two clients, properly report his CLE credits, or complete the required trial advocacy course, we conclude that Mose failed to satisfy his reinstatement conditions. [6]