- Jurisdiction
- West Virginia
I was hoping to find some clarification about the ethics and legality about an individual calling themself a lawyer despite having a suspended law license.
Context: An individual I know has had his law license suspended since 2014. I am unaware if the suspension is due to a failure to complete his CLEs or due to his run ins with the law, which include multiple DUIs and a TDO. Despite this suspension, that he has not attempted to resolve in almost 6 years, he continues to refer to himself as lawyer in title (adding Esquire to his name) and in conversations and on social media. This has taken the form of providing advice, and providing legal expertise on multiple subjects. The multiple subjects is an add on to my question. He has made the claim that he is a DUI/Traffic Lawyer, an Immigration Lawyer, and a Campaign Lawyer. To my knowledge (and this is based on multiple conversations directly with him) he has only practiced DUI law, and it was based on quid pro quos with drinking acquaintances. I know for a fact that no campaign or organization has ever used, or sought, his legal expertise. I cannot speak to the immigration point past what he has shared.
I have multiple concerns about his behavior and his claims. Not the least of which is that his advice is often far from solid legal advice, and is often well outside of his spectrum of knowledge, even by his own claims of expertise. Is his behavior legal? Is it ethical? Is it a violation of the Bar (he was licensed in WV)? And if yes to any of these questions, is there a process for which I can report him and hopefully stop his behavior?
Thank you in advance for any and all answers.
Context: An individual I know has had his law license suspended since 2014. I am unaware if the suspension is due to a failure to complete his CLEs or due to his run ins with the law, which include multiple DUIs and a TDO. Despite this suspension, that he has not attempted to resolve in almost 6 years, he continues to refer to himself as lawyer in title (adding Esquire to his name) and in conversations and on social media. This has taken the form of providing advice, and providing legal expertise on multiple subjects. The multiple subjects is an add on to my question. He has made the claim that he is a DUI/Traffic Lawyer, an Immigration Lawyer, and a Campaign Lawyer. To my knowledge (and this is based on multiple conversations directly with him) he has only practiced DUI law, and it was based on quid pro quos with drinking acquaintances. I know for a fact that no campaign or organization has ever used, or sought, his legal expertise. I cannot speak to the immigration point past what he has shared.
I have multiple concerns about his behavior and his claims. Not the least of which is that his advice is often far from solid legal advice, and is often well outside of his spectrum of knowledge, even by his own claims of expertise. Is his behavior legal? Is it ethical? Is it a violation of the Bar (he was licensed in WV)? And if yes to any of these questions, is there a process for which I can report him and hopefully stop his behavior?
Thank you in advance for any and all answers.
