On August 10th, 2020, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania suspended Philadelphia attorney M.B. for one year, based on a criminal conviction for “harassment by offensive touching or threat,” a petty disorderly persons offense in New Jersey. M.B. is a lawyer with decades of experience who arranged to meet a young
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Blogs start with the best intentions but often move to the back burner and then fall off the stove altogether! Mine is no different. However, the good news is that I have both a renewed commitment to this Blog and a new assistant to help with the labor (more about
…On June 8, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court approved adoption of Rule 8.4(g) broadening the definition of misconduct to include the following:
g) in the practice of law, by words or conduct, knowingly manifest bias or prejudice, or engage in harassment or discrimination, as those terms are defined in applicable
…Three years ago, after over two decades of practicing in small firms, medium sized firms and big firms, I decided to open a solo practice. A solo practice offers two things critical to work satisfaction: flexibility and autonomy. With that come other attractions: there is no billable hours requirement and
…Very Big News from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania was posted on the The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania website this afternoon! Candidates for the postponed July 2020 Bar Exam will now be eligible for a temporary “limited license” permitting them to practice under the “direct and ongoing” supervision
…For many of us, our practices take us into the lives of our clients at times of great stress. Whether it is criminal trouble, professional licensing trouble, matrimonial trouble, or business trouble, legal trouble is painful and all-consuming. Guiding clients through these troubled waters to land, at least relatively safely,
…Sleepless nights are a criminal defense attorney’s lot in life, full of worry about all the things that can and do go wrong in the high-stakes work of protecting individual liberty. But there is one more thing you should be worried about: your office’s compliance with the Pennsylvania Rules of
…Attorneys experience problematic drinking, drug use and mental health distress at a higher rate than other professionals. As the holiday season shifts into high gear, take a moment to check in on your mental and emotional well-being and—while you are at it—check up on your partners and colleagues also.
…At least once or twice a day, after I press the “send” button, I get a panicky feeling that I’ve made a mistake and there is no going back. Did I send to the right people? Did I attach the right document? Or even worse—did I waive an important privilege? BouSamra
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