Opinion
January 18, 2001
Patricia Dianne Jacobs was granted the privilege of practicing law in the State of Arkansas by this Court on September 7, 1973. In addition, Ms. Jacobs was admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals on November 28, 1978.
On July 20, 2000, the Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct learned that the District of Columbia Court of Appeals had entered an Order disbarring Ms. Jacobs on August 12, 1999. In addition, the Committee received notice that an Order was entered by the Supreme Court of the United States disbarring Ms. Jacobs from the practice of law in that court. The Order of Disbarment was based upon Ms. Jacob's violation of the District of Columbia's rules governing professional conduct of lawyers. She was found to have engaged in conduct involving a criminal act reflecting adversely on her fitness to practice law; conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation; and conduct which was prejudicial to the administration of justice.
On September 5, 2000, pursuant to the Procedures of the Arkansas Supreme Court Regulating Professional Conduct of Attorneys at Law, Section 7M, Disbarment Reciprocal, the Committee on Professional Conduct filed with the Court its petition seeking reciprocal disbarment of Ms. Jacobs in this jurisdiction. Ms. Jacobs was duly served with the Petition and notice of the time in which she could submit a response to the Court. Ms. Jacobs did not respond to the Petition.
From the record before it, the Court finds that Ms. Jacobs' disbarment from the District of Columbia and the United States Court of Appeals are properly disbarments for purposes of reciprocal disbarment in Arkansas. Further, the respondent attorney was duly served with the Committee's petition containing the pertinent, certified copies of the District of Columbia and United States Supreme Court's disciplinary proceedings reflecting the serious misconduct found to have been committed in those jurisdictions, and she failed to contest the Committee's petition for reciprocal disbarment.
The petition of the Committee on Professional Conduct is granted.
Patricia Dianne Jacobs' license to practice law in the State of Arkansas is hereby revoked. Ms. Jacobs' name shall be removed from the registry of licensed attorneys, and she is barred from engaging in the practice of law in this state.
It is so ordered.