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Were You Disbarred In New Jersey? You May Be Eligible To Practice Again.

The Garden State believes in second chances.

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spotlight on gavelGetting disbarred shouldn’t be a proud moment in any lawyer’s career: perjury, dishonesty, and disobeying court orders — among other things — tends to exceed the zealous representation part of the job. But there can be a path to redemption. We are more than who we are at our worst points, and that goes for lawyers as much as anyone else. New Jersey’s Supreme Court recognizes that, and ABA Journal has coverage:

Former New Jersey lawyers who are disbarred will in most cases be allowed to apply for reinstatement after five years, the New Jersey Supreme Court has decided.

The New Jersey Supreme Court’s Oct. 15 order and determination reject the approach that it adopted in a 1979 case that imposed automatic and permanent disbarment for knowing misappropriation of funds. Now, lawyers disbarred for misappropriation, as well as lawyers disbarred for other reasons, can apply for readmission in five years as long as several conditions are met.

Those required conditions include proving that the attorney is fit to practice law, taking and passing the bar and MPRE, completing specific CLEs, and filing a statement of restitution. Practicing after disbarment is also a privilege and not a right — lawyers whose disbarments stem from egregious misconduct would be better off investing their time and money in bringing back Enron than their practice.

Overturning 45-Year Precedent, New Jersey Gives Disbarred Lawyers Second Chance [ABA Journal]

Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by tweet at @WritesForRent.

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