Return to Practice

In most jurisdictions, disbarment is not necessarily a permanent condition.  Many disbarred lawyers never seek reinstatement, moving on to other work. It is rare to see a disbarred attorney who is able to regain the license after the passage of many years. Yesterday, the D. C. Court of Appeals reinstated an attorney who had been disbarred in 1990 for a single instance of misappropriation of client funds of less than $500. It was not an entirely unsympathetic case, as the attorney was relatively inexperienced (he handled appointed criminal cases almost exclusively), had never previously handled client funds and made prompt restitution. The attorney had been denied reinstatement several times due to evidence of ongoing financial responsibility issues, but finally persuaded Bar Counsel, the Board and the Court that reinstatement was appropriate. (Mike Frisch)