Opinion
No. 2020-BA-01377
11-17-2021
IN RE: COMMITTEE ON BAR ADMISSIONS CFN-743663
Conditional admission granted. See per curiam.
Genovese, J., would reject conditional admission.
BAR ADMISSIONS PROCEEDING
PER CURIAM
Petitioner passed the Louisiana Bar Examination. The Committee on Bar Admissions ("Committee") subsequently declined to certify petitioner for admission, citing her history of criminal offenses, numerous traffic citations issued to petitioner, not all of which were disclosed when she submitted her bar application, and her failure to disclose her termination by two previous employers. On petitioner's application to this court, we remanded the 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. 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 commissioner's 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:
1. Petitioner shall continue to comply with the terms of the recovery agreement she signed with the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program ("JLAP") on July 14, 2020.
2. The period of this conditional admission shall coincide with the period of petitioner's JLAP agreement. However, petitioner's conditional admission status shall not be terminated until this court so orders.
3. Petitioner shall authorize the Executive Director of JLAP to report any violations of the JLAP agreement to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel ("ODC").
4. Upon the expiration of the term of petitioner's JLAP agreement, the Executive Director of JLAP shall forward to the ODC (a) a final report of petitioner's progress and participation in JLAP, and (b) a recommendation regarding the need for petitioner's continued participation in JLAP.
5. Following receipt of the report from JLAP, the ODC shall file a report in this court in which it shall recommend whether the conditional admission
shall be allowed to terminate or shall be extended.
6. Petitioner shall cooperate with JLAP and the ODC, and shall comply with any and all requirements imposed upon her by JLAP and the ODC.
7. During the period of the conditional admission, petitioner shall provide evidence to the ODC, on at least a quarterly basis, demonstrating that she has made a good faith effort to satisfy her financial obligations.
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.