In a recent per curium opinion, the Louisiana Supreme Court found an attorney to have permanently forfeited his ability to practice law in the state due to “a panoply of serious professional violations.” Zealous
The Court stated, among other things, that the attorney “filed unsupported and duplicative pleadings, using offensive and abusive language, and has made baseless challenges to the authority, competency, and integrity of the federal court.”
This opinion finalizes a saga of repeated challenges stemming from a federal class action suit brought by the lawyer on behalf of victims of Hurricane Katrina. The lawyer’s behavior was a byproduct of his displeasure of a change in the court’s administration of Hurricane Katrina cases, and its assignment of a committee to coordinate the proceedings. With the record being “replete with [the attorney]’s vile and racially-derogatory communications made to members of the judiciary and bar,” the Louisiana Supreme Court found the attorney to lack the “moral fitness to practice law” in the state.
As a result, the Court adopted the state’s disciplinary board’s recommendation to permanently disbar the lawyer. This melee between the lawyer and the courts is an illustration of when zealous advocacy goes awry, fostering a complete disregard of the cornerstones of professionalism.
To read the full opinion, click here.
