Opinion ID: 1223502
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: order of grievance panel

Text: By order filed on December 3, 2009, this panel directed David Rodkin to show cause why he should not be removed from the bar of this Court, or subject to other disciplinary or corrective measures, based on the conduct described in that order, Rodkin was directed to respond to the order within twenty-eight days of its filing date, but has failed to do so. For present purposes, we confine our consideration to the allegation in the December 2009 order that Rodkin failed to disclose, in his application for admission to the bar of this Court, his prior suspension from the bar of the State of New York and his prior reciprocal suspension by the Executive Office for Immigration Review. As noted in our prior order, this Court's application for admission to the Court's bar requires a representation from the applicant that he has not been disbarred or suspended from practice in any court. Upon due consideration, it is hereby ORDERED that Rodkin's admission to this Court is VACATED based on that material misrepresentation in his application for admission to this Court's bar and his failure to respond to the December 2009 order. As a result, Rodkin is prohibited from serving as counsel or performing legal services in cases before this Court, and must arrange for substitution of counsel in any case now pending in this Court in which he is counsel of record. We do not consider the present disposition to be equivalent to an ordinary disbarment. Depending on the precise circumstances, a similar misrepresentation in a different type of court filing might not warrant disbarment. However, a material misrepresentation in the very instrument by which an attorney seeks membership in this Court's bar, without a showing of mistake or mitigating circumstances, renders that instrument defective and requires vacatur of the bar admission obtained through that instrument. [1] The text of this panel's December 2009 order is appended to, and deemed part of, the present order for the following disclosure purposes. Rodkin must disclose this order to all clients in cases currently pending in this Court and to all courts and bars of which he is currently a member, and as required by any bar or court rule or order. Furthermore, the Clerk of Court is directed to release this order to the public by posting it on this Court's web site and providing copies to members of the public in the same manner as all other unpublished decisions of this Court, and to serve a copy on Rodkin, this Court's Committee on Admissions and Grievances, the attorney disciplinary committee for the New York State Appellate Division, First Department, and all other courts and jurisdictions to which this Court distributes disciplinary decisions in the ordinary course.