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Fallen: Confessions of a Disbarred Lawyer

"How Could it Happen?" the http://www.fallenlawyer.com website caption reads -- how indeed. From a long-harbored ambition, formed first in his childhood, came a plan: to become a lawyer. And what an accomplishment that would be, for this man at least.

The memoir tells the story of a confirmed ne�er-do-well from early on, with crooked leanings who finally struck upon this aspiration: He would become a lawyer! It was not easy, for he needed a college degree, admission to law school, and then admission to the State Bar -- but somehow he managed it. Finally, he was a lawyer! And it was all downhill from there.

Lawyers are subject to a strict regimen of ethical rules and restrictions, and for good reason. Lawyers are entrusted with responsibility and authority for the conduct of their clients� affairs. In divorce matters, there is property and child custody; in probate, the disposition of the entire wealth of the deceased; in bankruptcy, protection of the debtor from the crushing aggression of hungry creditors. And the list goes on.

When a lawyer fails in those responsibilities, he may fall subject to discipline by his State Bar Association. The professional conduct of attorneys is strictly and carefully supervised by the State Bar. Protection of the public is its purpose.

Of course, mere failure in professional performance, through inexperience, even inadvertence, or even avoidable bumbling, won�t likely subject a lawyer to severe discipline. To err is indeed human, even for a skilled, licensed professional. Excusable error is often the rule in any profession, even the law.

Sometimes it�s worse, though. Some lawyers fall way off the track, and when they do, clients can get hurt. The lawyer is there to represent them, and if the lawyer doesn�t do it, walks away, gives up, or turns his back, then what? Calamity, that�s what.

And so here is the story of a lawyer who did just that. He walked away from his clients, gave up on their concerns and completely turned his back on them -- and to their and his great harm. The end result for the clients was loss, loss of money, loss of property, loss of rights. And for the lawyer the end result was also loss, loss of his license to practice law, and with it the losses of his standing, his status, even his living.

And who tells this story? He does, the lawyer, or ex-lawyer, himself tells all in this, his memoir, his autobiography, his capitulation and confession. It is the true-life story of his disbarment. He tells the when and the how, though only some of the why. And not why, as in what he did or failed to do that brought him to the attention of the enforcement arm of his State Bar. That�s easy. It�s in the books. But the full measure of why this happened eludes him. Some may know, but he does not. Do you? Perhaps. Read the book and find out.

http://www.fallenlawyer.com

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