Opinion
No. 46S00-0202-DI-99
Filed June 28, 2002
ORDER APPROVING STATEMENT OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND CONDITIONAL AGREEMENT FOR DISCIPLINE
Pursuant to Ind.Admission and Discipline Rule 23, Section 11, the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission and the respondent have submitted for approval a Statement of Circumstances and Conditional Agreement for Discipline stipulating a proposed discipline and agreed facts as summarized below:
Facts: The respondent placed two advertisements in the LaPorte-Michigan City Yellow Pages describing herself as a "Bankruptcy Debt Specialist". At no time was the respondent recognized as a specialist as defined by the Rules of Professional Conduct.
Violations: Respondent violated Prof.Cond.R. 7.1 (b), which prohibits an attorney from using or participating in any form of public communication containing a false, fraudulent, misleading, deceptive, self-laudatory or unfair statement or claim.
Discipline: Public reprimand. We accept this lenient sanction due to the agreement reached by the Disciplinary Commission and the respondent, as well as the respondent's record of service to her community and to the legal profession.
The Court, having considered the submission of the parties, now APPROVES and ORDERS the agreed discipline. Costs of this proceeding are assessed against the respondent. The Clerk of this Court is directed to serve notice of this order in accordance with Admis.Disc.R. 23 (3)(d) and to the hearing officer appointed in this matter.
All Justices concur.