Leaving Arizona: A Failed Conditional Admission

The Arizona Presiding Disciplinary Judge disbarred an attorney who had originally been conditionally admitted to practice. 

There was a default

Bar Counsel avowed additional efforts were made to contact Ms. O’Quinn beyond those required under rule. Those efforts were outlined and included a bar representative going to her residential property, but she had already left her apartment. It had been abandoned and 111 client files were found at her apartment and in a dumpster. The bank was contacted where her trust account was held, but there was no forwarding address left by Ms. O’Quinn. There was $29.00 in trust in her IOLTA account. Her law office had been rented space but was long abandoned. There was no forwarding address or other information as she was evicted from her office.

Ms. O’Quinn’s prior disciplinary history is long. Exhibits 22-49 sets forth her history. She was a conditional admittee with alcohol issues.

The prior record involved three informal reprimands and a suspension for six months and a day

The present case involved misconduct in three client matters and failure to cooperate.

Disbarment is generally appropriate when a lawyer knowingly engages in conduct that violates a duty owed as a professional intending to obtain a benefit for the lawyer or another, and causes serious or potentially serious injury to a client, the public, or the legal system.

We find Ms. O’Quinn has left the State of Arizona and failed to substantively respond to the SBA’s investigation. Ms. O’Quinn’s actions were taken intending to obtain a personal benefit and benefitted her to the detriment of her clients. Standard 7.1, Disbarment, therefore applies.

(Mike Frisch)