LAW.coLAW.co

IN RE: COMMITTEE ON BAR ADMISSIONS CFN-282324 (2022)

Supreme Court of Louisiana.2022-06-28No. No. 2021-BA-01684

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

Conditional admission granted. See per curiam.

BAR ADMISSIONS PROCEEDING

Petitioner applied to take the Louisiana Bar Examination. The Committee on Bar Admissions (“Committee”) advised petitioner that it could not certify her to take the bar exam on character and fitness grounds. Petitioner then applied to this court for permission to take the bar exam. We granted the application, with the condition that upon petitioners successful completion of the exam, she apply for the appointment of a commissioner to take character and fitness evidence.

Upon passing the bar exam, and on petitioners application to this court, we remanded this matter to the Committee on Bar Admissions Panel on Character and Fitness to conduct an investigation and appointed a commissioner to take character and fitness evidence. The primary issue raised during the proceedings was petitioners receipt of benefits from Louisianas food assistance and child care assistance programs when she was not eligible for such assistance, and her failure to adhere to an agreement to make restitution to the State for these benefits in lieu of prosecution.

Following the proceedings, the commissioner filed his report with this court, recommending that petitioner be admitted to the practice of law, or alternatively, granted conditional admission. Neither party objected to this recommendation.

Considering the commissioners recommendation and the entire record of this proceeding, we conclude petitioner is eligible to be admitted to the practice of law in Louisiana, subject to the following conditions:

I. The term of this conditional admission shall be for two years from the date of admission. However, petitioners conditional admission status shall not be terminated until this court so orders.

II. Within thirty days of petitioners admission, she shall enter into a formal plan with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (“ODC”) incorporating the following condition:

A. During the period of this conditional admission, petitioner shall provide evidence to the ODC, on at least a quarterly basis, demonstrating that she is making a good faith effort to satisfy her financial obligations, including, but not limited to, her outstanding debt owed to the State of Louisiana.

III. Petitioner shall cooperate with the ODC, and shall comply with any and all requirements imposed upon her by the ODC.

IV. Within thirty days prior to the expiration of the conditional admission, the ODC shall file a report in this court in which it shall recommend to the court that the conditional admission be allowed to terminate or be extended.

Should petitioner fail to make a good faith effort to satisfy these conditions, or should she commit any misconduct during the period of probation, her conditional right to practice may be terminated or she may be subjected to other discipline pursuant to the Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement.

CONDITIONAL ADMISSION GRANTED.