That Time Of Year: Pay Your Bar Dues

An attorney who worked as bond and underwriting counsel to a national law firm had been publicly reprimanded in Massachusetts for practicing after suspension for non-payment of bar dues. The summary of the case notes that the attorney was frequently out of the office and had moved his residence when he failed to pay his 2007 dues.

When the attorney learned of his administrative suspension in 2010, he cured the problem.

Note that there are some jurisdictions (read: Pennsylvania) that treat this as a serious violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct.

By way of confession, I would note that my own bar (D.C.)  doesn’t treat practice while under administrative suspension as a big deal. Nonetheless, my check is in the mail. (Mike Frisch)