When I was grieved the first time, I was a young, solo attorney barely practicing three or four years. You want to talk about shock, awe and anger. I had zero experience with the attorney disciplinary system. Those same feelings were no less potent when I was grieved a second time, some 10 years later, as disciplinary counsel. While in private practice, I also won the lottery of being randomly selected for an audit. At that time, my IOLTA had seen millions of dollars run through it. I knew I was off $11.32 and I was certain I would lose my license. The auditors left saying it was one of their best audits.

During my solo years, I was at least smart enough to be active in my local bar association. It was there where I would meet some of the most important people in my life. One day a judge pulled me aside and asked whether I would do her a favor and volunteer to sit on a local grievance panel. No, it did not pay, but she thought it would be “interesting” for me. Every local panel consists of volunteer attorneys, a layperson and all panels are led by local panel counsel. For over three years we conferenced monthly and discussed whether there was probable cause of attorney misconduct in the matters before us. And, of course, the judge proved herself to be right; the experience was very “interesting” because it taught me a lot of what not to do. How do you say thank you for that?

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