Bar Counsel / Attorney Grievance Commission
Receiving a disciplinary grievance complaint can be overwhelming and shocking. However, it is imperative that you take necessary action, including seeking legal counsel. The most important criteria for selecting an attorney to represent you should be experience. Simply put, there is no substitute for experience. There are many excellent attorneys in Maryland, Virginia, and the…
Read MoreOverview On February 22, 2021, the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board (“the Board”) suspended Jonathan Preston Fisher, Esq. from the practice of law for sixty (60) days effective February 1, 2021, with other conditions. The hearing was held on January 22, 2021. Mr. Fisher is a DUI lawyer based in Blacksburg, Virginia and was admitted…
Read MoreResponding To The Attorney Grievance Commission
Notwithstanding the Pandemic, as well as the associated closures of Courts and the slowdown of the judicial process, the attorney disciplinary system continues to work at full throttle. It would appear that during the Pandemic people have much more time to go exploring on their computers and consequently, complaints about lawyers are being made with…
Read MoreMost attorneys have long known, at least in a general way, that law clerks, legal assistants, secretaries and paralegals may not ethically “practice law.” The difficulty for many attorneys, however, is determining what constitutes the unauthorized practice of law, as opposed to the proper and ethical function various members of the support staff may perform.…
Read MoreLawyers Must Exercise Caution in Responding to Online Criticism to Ensure Strict Adherence to Confidentiality Obligations
As with all industries facing increasingly vocal consumers enabled by numerous online outlets to comment on products and services, lawyers regularly find themselves targets of negative reviews or other online criticism. However, lawyers are uniquely constrained in their ability to respond to such criticism by applicable ethical rules. The American Bar Association (“ABA”) recently opined…
Read MoreAn Overview of Legal Malpractice in the District of Columbia
The District of Columbia is a generally favorable jurisdiction when it comes to defending legal malpractice claims at the motions stage. According to a significant D.C. Court of Appeals opinion from March 20, 2009, when lawyers make tactical mistakes, they should not be held liable if they acted in good faith. Where an attorney makes…
Read MoreOn May 4, 2018, Stacey Moffet, along with Bar Counsel, Lydia Lawless, were presenters at the Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland’s 124th Annual Meeting & Law Day Celebration on “Sexual Harassment: Ethical Implications and Law Firm Practices.” The presentation addressed the ethical implications of sexual harassment and related claims in the law firm setting…
Read MoreOh No! A Letter from Bar Counsel…
What To Do If You Receive a Letter from Bar Counsel According to its Annual Report, the Attorney Grievance Commission sends out roughly 2,000 complaint letters each year. Approximately 75% of these initial inquiry letters are dismissed after receiving a well reasoned response. All too often however, matters that might have been promptly resolved with…
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