Opinion
No. 94S00-0805-MS-284, 94S00-0805-MS-285.
August 14, 2008.
ORDER GRANTING AN EXTENSION OF TIME TO PAY REGISTRATION FEE AND MEET CLE REQUIREMENTS
An attorney who is a member of the bar of this state is required pay a registration fee on or before October 1 of such year. See Admis. Disc. R. 2(b) and (c). In addition, the attorney must complete a certain number of continuing legal education ("CLE") hours in each calendar year. See Admis. Disc. R. 29(3). On May 21, 2008, this Court entered two orders under separate cause numbers suspending certain attorneys that failed to meet these requirements. Petitioner was suspended under both of these orders, having failed to pay her registration fee and meet her CLE requirements for the past year.
Petitioner has tiled a petition in each cause seeking relief from the suspension orders. She reports that she is in severe medical and financial distress and is unable to pay her registration fee with penalties and meet her CLE requirements. She currently resides in California and reports that she has not handled a legal case for perhaps up to three years. She asks that she he put on a "program for medical leave" rather than being suspended, or that she be relieved of late penalties and given an extension of time until September to pay her registration fee and meet her CLE requirements.
The rules of this Court governing admission to the bar do not provide for medical leave. In the circumstances, however, the Court will grant Petitioner alternative relief
It is therefore ordered that: (1) Petitioner is granted an extension of time to and including September 30, 2008, to pay her registration fee and meet her CLE requirements: (2) if Petitioner pays her registration fee by this deadline the fee shall not include any late penalties; (3) if Petitioner meets this deadline. Petitioner's suspensions shall be lifted.
The Clerk of this Court is directed to give notice of this order to Petitioner, to the Disciplinary Commission, to the Commission for CLE, to the Board of Law Examiners. to the Supreme Court Administrator, and to State Court Administration.
DONK at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 14 th day of August, 2008.