This matter is before the Court on the application for certification of fitness/reinstatement filed by Alvin Lamont Kendall in accordance with Part A, Section 10 Readmission and Reinstatement of the Rules Governing Admission to the Practice of Law in Georgia. Kendall, who was originally admitted to the Bar in 1985, has several disciplinary matters in his record. First, he received a letter of admonition from the Investigative Panel of the State Disciplinary Board in 1992 for wilfully disregarding a legal matter entrusted to him. Then, in January 1998, this Court accepted Kendall’s petition for voluntary discipline and suspended him for three years, with conditions on reinstatement, for failing to maintain properly funds held in trust for an elderly client and for failing after several demands to render accounts of those funds to the client’s guardian. See In the Matter of Kendall, 269 Ga. 28 493 SE2d 919 1998. Before that suspension expired, however, Kendall was convicted in federal court on charges of conspiring to give a client, who was a member of a drug distribution organization, advance notice of upcoming federal law enforcement searches and seizures, and of conspiring to distribute cocaine by virtue of tipping off his client about the upcoming searches. He was acquitted of actually tipping off his client. Nevertheless, Kendall was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison, followed by three years on probation. This Court suspended Kendall pending his appeal of those convictions, see In the Matter of Kendall, 271 Ga. 166, 167 517 SE2d 323 1999, and later disbarred him when his appeals proved unsuccessful, see In the Matter of Kendall, 277 Ga. 32 585 SE2d 882 2003. Kendall successfully completed his sentence, paid his fines, and, in March 2012 had his civil rights restored.
In December 2014 Kendall filed with the Office of Bar Admissions an Application for Certification of Fitness to Practice Law, which serves as an application for readmission. In connection therewith, he filed a statement of rehabilitation in accordance with In re Cason, 249 Ga. 806 294 SE2d 520 1982. In it he accepted responsibility for his convictions and detailed his desire to move beyond that period in his life with the support of his wife of 22 years and his two children. He indicated that his experience has taught him a valuable lesson and created a resolve in him to never put himself, his family or his community through such an ordeal again. Kendall stated that he has spent the time since his release from prison atoning for his actions through service to his family and community. He stated that he has offered accounting and consulting services on an independent basis and has performed legal research and writing for various attorneys in a paralegal capacity. Kendall outlined his efforts at rehabilitation in the community through his documented involvement in numerous community, educational, civic, and non-profit organizations that assist minorities, children and the elderly, including, but not limited to, a non-profit organization that his wife and he started to increase awareness of the issues associated with, and to assist in the prevention of, childhood obesity, see R. 102-03. Kendall admitted that he has been involved in some litigation matters since his disbarment, but stated that none of those suits involved his former clients, and that, instead, they arose out of personal situations. At the informal conference with the Fitness Board, Kendall explained that while his record may look troubling on its face, most of his issues stemmed from immaturity and he noted that his actions never deprived a client of any money or property. He contends that he has learned from his mistakes and is ready to be a contributing member of the Bar.
