Voluntary License Surrender Accepted

The Georgia Supreme Court accepted a voluntary license surrender

As recounted by the Special Master, Lane is 74 years old and has been a member of the State Bar of Georgia since 1975. In August 2016, a client retained Lane to file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Lane filed the habeas petition in September 2016, and a hearing was scheduled for December 12, 2016. Over the next three years, the habeas court continued the hearing approximately 14 times, mostly at Lane’s request, but Lane repeatedly failed to notify her client about the status of his case. During this time, Lane experienced health problems that materially impaired her ability to represent her client, but she did not at any time seek to withdraw. Lane did not take reasonable measures to expedite resolution of the habeas litigation consistent with the interests of her incarcerated client, and she failed to file a final brief on her client’s behalf after the hearing on his habeas petition was finally held on September 30, 2019. Further, Lane admitted that she has been previously disciplined in 2011 and 2015.

Disposition

Under the circumstances of this case, we agree that no discipline greater than that offered by Lane in her petition for voluntary discipline would be warranted for any additional violations of the GRPC, and we therefore agree with the Special Master’s recommendation and accept Lane’s petition for voluntary discipline in which she agreed to surrender her license and never apply for readmission to the State Bar of Georgia. Accordingly, it is ordered that the name of L. Elizabeth Lane be removed from the rolls of persons authorized to practice law in the State of Georgia. Lane is reminded of her duties pursuant to Bar Rule 4-219 (b).

(Mike Frisch)