Court Opinion

ID: 9636019
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 14:12:44.827704+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:09:40.541260
License: Public Domain

J. JOSEPH SMITH, Circuit Judge
(dissenting):
I dissent. I would dismiss this action for want of a substantial federal question. See Martin v. Walton, 368 U.S. 25, 82 S.Ct. 1, 7 L.Ed.2d 5 (1961); Suffling v. Bondurant, 339 F.Supp.257 (D.N.M.), aff’d sub nom. Rose v. Bondurant (Chairman Bd. of N. Mex. Bar Examiners), 409 U.S. 1020, 93 S.Ct. 460, 34 L. Ed.2d 312 (1972). The admission to practice before the state courts in ordinary civil actions before them is a matter for those courts, with which we should not unnecessarily interfere. It may well be that the Superior Court has construed the new rule too narrowly, and *181it may be that a more liberal admission policy more in tune with modern specialization and mobility would be desirable. See Admission of Non-Resident Attorneys Pro Hac Vice, American Bar Foundation, Research Memo, Series 1 (1968). But that is a matter for state policy determination. I cannot agree that there is demonstrated any violation of any constitutional right of the plaintiff to be represented by counsel here by denial of permission to an out-of-state lawyer who does not seek admission to the Connecticut bar, to conduct proceedings in a malpractice civil action in Connecticut courts. The Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel in criminal cases which is enforced against the states under the Fourteenth Amendment is not directed to civil actions. Any constitutional claim must therefore be founded either in due process, privileges and immunities, or equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment, none of which so far as I can ascertain has been held to grant to a civil litigant, patient or other client the right to compel the admission of nonresidents to the practice of law, medicine, or other professions within a state. Moreover, even if such a claim should be held valid under the Fourteenth Amendment and 42 U.S.C. § 1983, it would appear that plaintiff's proper relief is by an appeal to the State Supreme Court, either from denial of the motion or from judgment in the malpractice action, and if necessary by certiorari to the United States Supreme Court. Our powers to stay state court proceedings are limited by statute, 28 U.S.C. § 2283, and by precedent. While § 1983 actions constitute an exception to the general § 2283 prohibition, Mitchum v. Foster, 407 U.S. 225, 92 S.Ct. 2151, 32 L.Ed.2d 705 (1972), if we cannot interrupt state proceedings when a defendant claims that a prosecution constitutes a serious violation of First Amendment rights, see Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37, 91 S.Ct. 746, 27 L.Ed.2d 669 (1971); Samuels v. Mackell, 401 U.S. 66, 91 S.Ct. 764, 27 L.Ed.2d 688 (1971); Boyle v. Landry, 401 U.S. 77, 91 S.Ct. 758, 27 L. Ed.2d 696 (1971); Perez v. Ledesma, 401 U.S. 82, 91 S.Ct. 674, 27 L.Ed.2d 701 (1971), I can perceive no reason for doing so here in a civil damage action.
Mitchum, supra, makes it quite plain that although the § 2283 prohibition is not an absolute bar, traditional notions of comity and equitable jurisdiction still prevail. Comity requires some showing of immediate and irreparable harm before state proceedings will be enjoined. The showing here is far short of that requirement. At best, Julien’s claim is that the client much prefers Julien to indigenous talent. There is not claimed here any denial to the client of the right to be heard by any counsel qualified under the rules of the court. There is no claim of inability to obtain qualified counsel because of local, race or other prejudice or of any denial of the First Amendment right of association of similarly situated litigants. Cf. NAACP v. Button, 371 U.S. 415, 83 S.Ct. 328, 9 L. Ed.2d 405 (1963); United Transportation Union v. State Bar of Michigan, 401 U.S. 576, 91 S.Ct. 1076, 28 L.Ed.2d 339 (1971).
I would therefore not merely abstain, but would dismiss this action for injunctive and other relief for want of a substantial federal question.