I am a lawyer who went on inactive status. Now, I wish to be reinstated, but I have to file a reinstatement petition because three years have passed since my inactive status. Is there anything I should know about applying for reinstatement from inactive status or administrative suspension?
As has been said in previous articles, it is very, very foolish for a lawyer to let their law license go inactive. There is just no good reason to do that. Most people say, well, I don’t feel like doing the 12 hours of CLEs or paying the $275 annual fee, but that is ridiculous. By letting one’s license go inactive, the lawyer cannot practice in Pennsylvania. More importantly, the lawyer cannot get referral fees. When a case is referred and a lawyer is on inactive status and the lawyer gives the case to a firm or friends, no referral fee can be paid because the lawyer is not an active lawyer. Further, most lawyers don’t realize or appreciate that if you are on inactive or administrative suspension for more than three years, you have to go through a reinstatement process. The filing fee is $500. One may have to hire a lawyer. And it is time-consuming and expensive.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]