Making Theft Reimbursement More Victim-Friendly

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has put out for comment proposed consumer-friendly amendments to the rules governing its Clients’ Security  Trust Fund.

The key proposed amendment is intended to address the problem of delay in reimbursing victims. The prior rule required a “jurisdictional trigger” such as the suspension, disbarment, death, or incapacity of the thieving lawyer. The trigger requirement will be deleted.

The second amendment (no guns and lawyers jokes please) extends juridiction to the offenses of attorneys who are already disbarred. A letter to the court from the Fund notes that the problem of unsophisticated clients being taken advantage of by the recently-disbarred justifies this jurisdictional extension.

Agreed.

Nice to see someone working at the D.C. Bar (the Fund members are appointed volunteers) thinking about public protection for a change. (Mike Frisch)