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Ethics and Professional Responsibility

  • Disciplinary Matter Involving Merdes
    ETHICSSupreme Court of Alaska (2022)Alex BartlowIn Disciplinary Matter Involving Merdes, 518 P.3d 727 (Alaska 2022), the supreme court held thata four–year suspension from the practice of law is an appropriate sanction for an attorney’smisconduct when the attorney intentionally defrauded a former client. (Id. at 743). An AlaskaNative corporation hired the attorney on a contingency fee ...
  • Disciplinary Matter Involving Chaobal
    ETHICS Sasha Kahn In Disciplinary Matter Involving Chaobal, 498 P.3d 617 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that a thirty-month suspension, with two years and one day to be served, is an appropriate sanction for an attorney’s misconduct when the attorney in separate cases has knowingly failed to follow nine different state ethics rules. (Id. at 629–30). ...
  • Disciplinary Matter Involving Gayle Brown, Attorney
    ETHICS & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY Hannah Rogers   Disciplinary Matter Involving Gayle Brown, Attorney In Disciplinary Matter Involving Gayle Brown, Attorney, 481 P.3d 678 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that a three year and one day suspension with one year stay is an appropriate sanction for an attorney’s misconduct when the attorney has failed to act with diligence and ...
  • Geisinger v. State
    ETHICS & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY Megan Mason Dister In Geisinger v. State, 2021 Alas. App. LEXIS 97 (Alaska Ct. App. 2021), the court of appeals held that Alaska Professional Conduct Rule 3.3(a)(3) permits counsel to refuse to elicit witness testimony that counsel believes to be false, third-degree assault is not necessarily a lesser included offense of first-degree assault, ...
  • In re Brion
    ETHICS Kristen M. Renberg, PhD In In re Brion, the supreme court held that the current procedures for disciplinary and reinstatement hearings for disbarred attorneys do not violate their due process rights. In 2009, a Hearing Committee found that Brion had violated his duties of diligence, communication, and handling client funds, and recommended disbarment. In 2010, the ...
  • In re Disciplinary Matter Involving Stockler
    ETHICS Christopher Dodd In In re Disciplinary Matter Involving Stockler, the supreme court held that suspension was the appropriate sanction for an attorney’s misconduct, since willfully failing to file income tax returns was a violation of ALASKA RULES OF PROF’L CONDUCT 8.4(b)(“a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer”), ...
  • Carr v. Alaska Bar Association
    ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY Macklin Willigan   Carr v. Alaska Bar Association In Carr v. Alaska Bar Association (475 P.3d 269 (Alaska 2020)), the supreme court held that health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic did not warrant allowing bar applicants to practice law without taking and passing the bar examination. (Id. at 269.). Seven applicants for the Alaska ...

Ethics and Professional Responsibility

  • Disciplinary Matter Involving Merdes
    ETHICSSupreme Court of Alaska (2022)Alex BartlowIn Disciplinary Matter Involving Merdes, 518 P.3d 727 (Alaska 2022), the supreme court held thata four–year suspension from the practice of law is an appropriate sanction for an attorney’smisconduct when the attorney intentionally defrauded a former client. (Id. at 743). An AlaskaNative corporation hired the attorney on a contingency fee ...
  • Disciplinary Matter Involving Chaobal
    ETHICS Sasha Kahn In Disciplinary Matter Involving Chaobal, 498 P.3d 617 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that a thirty-month suspension, with two years and one day to be served, is an appropriate sanction for an attorney’s misconduct when the attorney in separate cases has knowingly failed to follow nine different state ethics rules. (Id. at 629–30). ...
  • Disciplinary Matter Involving Gayle Brown, Attorney
    ETHICS & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY Hannah Rogers   Disciplinary Matter Involving Gayle Brown, Attorney In Disciplinary Matter Involving Gayle Brown, Attorney, 481 P.3d 678 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that a three year and one day suspension with one year stay is an appropriate sanction for an attorney’s misconduct when the attorney has failed to act with diligence and ...
  • Geisinger v. State
    ETHICS & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY Megan Mason Dister In Geisinger v. State, 2021 Alas. App. LEXIS 97 (Alaska Ct. App. 2021), the court of appeals held that Alaska Professional Conduct Rule 3.3(a)(3) permits counsel to refuse to elicit witness testimony that counsel believes to be false, third-degree assault is not necessarily a lesser included offense of first-degree assault, ...
  • In re Brion
    ETHICS Kristen M. Renberg, PhD In In re Brion, the supreme court held that the current procedures for disciplinary and reinstatement hearings for disbarred attorneys do not violate their due process rights. In 2009, a Hearing Committee found that Brion had violated his duties of diligence, communication, and handling client funds, and recommended disbarment. In 2010, the ...
  • In re Disciplinary Matter Involving Stockler
    ETHICS Christopher Dodd In In re Disciplinary Matter Involving Stockler, the supreme court held that suspension was the appropriate sanction for an attorney’s misconduct, since willfully failing to file income tax returns was a violation of ALASKA RULES OF PROF’L CONDUCT 8.4(b)(“a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer”), ...
  • Carr v. Alaska Bar Association
    ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY Macklin Willigan   Carr v. Alaska Bar Association In Carr v. Alaska Bar Association (475 P.3d 269 (Alaska 2020)), the supreme court held that health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic did not warrant allowing bar applicants to practice law without taking and passing the bar examination. (Id. at 269.). Seven applicants for the Alaska ...