Opinion
No. 2021-BA-00871
01-26-2022
IN RE: COMMITTEE ON BAR ADMISSIONS CFN-815147
PER CURIAM
Conditional admission granted. See per curiam.
Petitioner applied to take the Louisiana Bar Examination. The Committee on Bar Admissions ("Committee") advised petitioner that it could not certify him 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 petitioner's successful completion of the exam, he apply for the appointment of a commissioner to take character and fitness evidence.
Upon passing the bar exam, and on petitioner's 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. During the hearing before the commissioner, evidence was introduced pertaining to petitioner's record of criminal offenses, his failure to disclose these offenses when he applied to law school, and the neglect of his financial responsibilities. Following the proceedings, the commissioner filed his report with this court, recommending that petitioner be admitted to the practice of law. 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 conditionally 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, petitioner's conditional admission status shall not be terminated until this court so orders.
II. Within thirty days of petitioner's admission, he 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 he is making a good faith effort to satisfy his financial obligations.
III. Petitioner shall cooperate with the ODC, and shall comply with any and all requirements imposed upon him 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 he commit any misconduct during the period of probation, his conditional right to practice may be terminated or he may be subjected to other discipline pursuant to the Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement.