IN RE: COMMITTEE ON BAR ADMISSIONS CFN-253914 (2023)

Conditional admission granted. See per curiam.

PDG

JLW

JDH

SJC

JTG

WJC

JBM

Supreme Court of Louisiana November 21, 2023

11/21/2023

SUPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA

NO. 2023-BA-0526

IN RE: COMMITTEE ON BAR ADMISSIONS CFN-253914

BAR ADMISSIONS PROCEEDING

PER CURIAM

Petitioner passed the Louisiana Bar Examination. The Committee on Bar Admissions (“Committee”) subsequently declined to certify petitioner for admission on character and fitness grounds. On petitioner's application to this court, we remanded the matter to the Committee on Bar Admissions Panel on Character and Fitness to conduct an investigation and appointed a commissioner to take character and fitness evidence. Following the proceedings, which primarily focused upon petitioner's past dishonest conduct, the commissioner filed his report with this court, recommending that petitioner be conditionally admitted to the practice of law. Neither party objected to this recommendation.

Considering the commissioner's recommendation and the entire record of this proceeding, we conclude petitioner is eligible to be admitted to the practice of law in Louisiana, subject to the following conditions:

1. Petitioner shall execute a one-year mental health monitoring agreement with the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (“JLAP”). In addition to the standard provisions of such an agreement, the mental health monitoring agreement executed by petitioner shall include the following conditions: (a) petitioner shall attend individual therapy with a JLAP-approved provider; (b) petitioner shall execute a release and instruct her therapist to submit written progress reports to JLAP on a quarterly basis; and (c) petitioner shall remain compliant with her medication regimen.

2. The period of this conditional admission shall coincide with the period of petitioner's JLAP agreement. However, petitioner's conditional admission status shall not be terminated until this court so orders.

3. Petitioner shall authorize the Executive Director of JLAP to report any violations of the JLAP agreement to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (“ODC”).

4. Upon the expiration of the term of petitioner's JLAP agreement, the Executive Director of JLAP shall forward to the ODC (a) a final report of petitioner's progress and participation in JLAP, and (b) a recommendation regarding the need for petitioner's continued participation in JLAP.

5. Following receipt of the report from JLAP, the ODC shall file a report in this court in which it shall recommend whether the conditional admission shall be allowed to terminate or shall be extended.

6. Petitioner shall cooperate with JLAP and the ODC, and shall comply with any and all requirements imposed upon her by JLAP and the ODC.

Should petitioner fail to make a good faith effort to satisfy these conditions, or should she commit any misconduct during the period of probation, her conditional right to practice may be terminated or she may be subjected to other discipline pursuant to the Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement.

CONDITIONAL ADMISSION GRANTED.