One Standard
The Iowa Supreme Court ordered a three-month suspension of an attorney for lack of diligence and related violations in several cases.
Background
Hedgecoth was admitted to the Iowa bar in 1998. He estimates that since being admitted, he has been actively practicing for seven-and a-half years. He initially practiced law from 1998 to 2005, taking one year off in 2002 to run for political office. From 2005 to 2011, he closed his law practice and worked as a policy advisor and political campaign staffer. After those endeavors were completed, Hedgecoth returned to the practice of law.
In June 2012, while engaged in the practice of law, Hedgecoth signed an employment contract with a gubernatorial candidate. The contract provided for a sliding scale of employment, initially requiring twenty percent of Hedgecoth’s time, and gradually increasing over time to a full-time commitment. Accordingly, from January through November 2014, Hedgecoth worked full time for the political campaign and did not actively practice law.
As to sanction
We conclude a three-month suspension is appropriate here. This case is more like Humphrey than Schumacher or Walker. Although Hedgecoth neglected multiple matters, his neglect did not cause any demonstrable financial or other harm to clients, nor was it accompanied by auxiliary misrepresentation or misconduct. Further, despite his initial unresponsiveness, Hedgecoth eventually testified before the commission and admitted the violations.
The court rejected the suggestion that his part-time status mitigated the misconduct
Although we impose a lesser sanction than the commission recommended, we reject Hedgecoth’s assertion that his part-time practice and extralegal employment should afford him leniency. We have said “[l]awyers do not shed their professional responsibility in their personal lives.” Comm. on Prof’l Ethics & Conduct v. Millen, 357 N.W.2d 313, 315 (Iowa 1984). Along the same lines, lawyers who practice part-time are not held to a lower standard of professionalism.
(Mike Frisch)