Intentional Legal Misconduct

Ask Alexa what could happen to a to a lawyer from them  intentionally hiding legal misconduct.

Robert Clifford

 

Steve Jambois

 

 A lawyer who intentionally hides legal misconduct faces severe professional discipline, including suspension, disbarment, civil lawsuits, or criminal charges.

Professional Disciplinary Actions

When a lawyer tries to hide a mistake or unethical behavior, state bar associations treat the cover-up as an aggravating factor that makes the final punishment much worse. According to insights on Professional Discipline For Hiding Attorney Errors, resisting the truth before a disciplinary board severely harms the lawyer's case. [1]

Public Reprimand: A formal, public scolding recorded on the lawyer's permanent record.
Suspension: The lawyer loses their license to practice law for a set period (ranging from months to years).
Disbarment: The lawyer permanently loses their license and can no longer practice law. [1, 2]

Civil Liability and Malpractice

If hiding the misconduct causes financial loss or ruins a client's legal case, the client can take legal action. [1]

Malpractice Lawsuits: Clients can sue for professional negligence.
Breach of Fiduciary Duty: Lawyers owe total honesty and loyalty to their clients; a cover-up breaks this legal trust.
Financial Penalties: The lawyer may have to pay large sums of money in damages to the harmed client. [1, 2]

Criminal Penalties

In the most serious cases, hiding misconduct crosses the line into criminal behavior. [1]

Obstruction of Justice: Actively hiding or destroying evidence to block an investigation is a crime.
Contempt of Court: Lying to a judge or hiding facts from the court can result in fines or jail time ordered directly by the judge. [1, 2]