A veteran personal injury and criminal defense attorney has been suspended from practicing law for three months after allowing an unlicensed law school graduate employed at his office to perform lawyer-only duties such as appearing on a client's behalf at a deposition.

Michael I. Braverman, who runs a boutique law office in the Bronx, has been suspended for three months by a unanimous Appellate Division, First Department panel. In an Oct. 1 opinion, the panel wrote that Braverman had "permitted an unlicensed law school graduate employed by his office to, inter alia, attend various preliminary conferences and to sign preliminary conference orders and stipulations as 'attorney for plaintiff,' and to appear for a client at a deposition."

But the panel also wrote that Braverman had no other disciplinary history in more than 25 years of practicing law and that he'd "fully cooperated" with the First Department's Attorney Grievance Committee, which had commenced a disciplinary proceeding against him.

In addition, Braverman conditionally admitted to committing acts of professional misconduct, and he "has freely and voluntarily given his consent to the agreed upon [with the grievance committee] discipline and [he] is fully aware of the consequences of such consent," the panel wrote.

Panel Justices John Sweeny Jr., Dianne Renwick, Rosalyn Richter, Sallie Manzanet-Daniels and Peter Tom also noted that there were no "aggravating factors" in Braverman's disciplinary case.

Michael Ross of the Law Offices of Michael S. Ross represented Braverman in the disciplinary matter. In an email Thursday, he said, "Mr. Braverman fully understands the misjudgments he made and looks forward to being able to represent his clients after the period of his suspension."

According to the website for Braverman's small Bronx law firm, called Getz & Braverman, he served for "years" as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx. Then, according to the site, he dedicated his private practice to handling personal injury, criminal defense and police brutality matters.

The law firm's site lists those three areas as its "services" areas, and the website includes a tag line that says, "Serving the Bronx in New York for over 45 years."

The site also notes that a firm office is located across the street from the Bronx courts.

The First Department panel imposed the three-month suspension penalty that the grievance committee and Braverman had jointly moved for as "discipline by consent," the opinion indicates.

The justices wrote that the grievance committee's and Braverman's "joint submission … includes a stipulation of facts, [Braverman's] conditional admissions to the acts of professional misconduct and the specific rules he has violated (Rules of Professional Conduct [22 NYCRR 1200.00] Rules 5.5(b), 8.4(h)), and that he has freely and voluntarily given his consent to the agreed upon discipline and is fully aware of the consequences of such consent."

Rule 5.5(b) prohibits a lawyer from aiding a nonlawyer in the unauthorized practice of law.

Braverman was admitted to the state bar in 1991, according to the opinion.