Friday, February 12, 2016

Feb 12, 2016by Matt Brown -

FIXING THE DOUBLE STANDARD AT THE NORTH CAROLINA BAR

Feb. 12, 2016 (Mimesis Law) — In North Carolina, the State Bar doesn’t seem to treat prosecutors and defense attorneys the same when it comes to lawyer discipline. The News and Observer reports:

For most of 2015, the North Carolina State Bar vigorously and publicly pressed ethics charges against two anti-death penalty lawyers for what were eventually judged to be unimportant inaccuracies in two sworn affidavits.

During the same time, the bar privately dismissed complaints that three prominent prosecutors – one running for attorney ....

http://mimesislaw.com/fault-lines/fixing-the-double-standard-at-the-north-carolina-bar/6787

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

The Legal Reformer: Evaluation of the North Carolina State Bar

https://thelegalreformer.com/2016/02/10/evaluation-of-the-north-carolina-state-bar/

Evaluation of the North Carolina State Bar

Posted on February 10, 2016by The Legal Reformer

Something is rotten in the state of North Carolina . . . or at least in the State Bar (“Bar”). Former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr has called for a full independent review of the Bar, which is the entity that licenses and disciplines lawyers in North Carolina.

According to a February 6, 2015 article in The News & Observertitled, “Former NC Supreme Court justice calls for review of state bar,” Orr’s actions come as part of .....

https://thelegalreformer.com/2016/02/10/evaluation-of-the-north-carolina-state-bar/

Tideland News: Bar Association getting a look

http://www.carolinacoastonline.com/tideland_news/opinions/article_879b3bba-cff8-11e5-9c3f-57ac74f2d545.html

Bar Association getting a look

Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 8:16 am

1 comment

An article in the Raleigh News and Observer on Sunday pulled back the curtain on the fascinating drama that apparently unfolds behind closed doors when the N.C. Bar Association considers complaints of various sorts concerning its members. The process, a Duke University law ......

http://www.carolinacoastonline.com/tideland_news/opinions/article_879b3bba-cff8-11e5-9c3f-57ac74f2d545.html

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

ABA Journal: Former NC justice calls for outside review of state bar, says it's divided into 'two extreme camps'

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/former_nc_justice_calls_for_outside_review_of_state_bar_says_it_divided_int/

Former NC justice calls for outside review of state bar, says it's divided into 'two extreme camps'

POSTED FEB 09, 2016 05:45 AM CST

BY DEBRA CASSENS WEISS

A former justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court says the state bar is divided into “two extreme camps” and he believed an outside review is needed.

Former Justice Bob Orr tells the Raleigh News & Observer that one camp in the state bar is more supportive of prosecutors and the other is more supportive of ....

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/former_nc_justice_calls_for_outside_review_of_state_bar_says_it_divided_int/

Sunday, February 7, 2016

News and Record: Lewis Pitts: Legal profession fails to pursue, protect justice

http://www.greensboro.com/opinion/columns/lewis-pitts-legal-profession-fails-to-pursue-protect-justice/article_25418888-1a37-5f13-bd8a-944575041a34.html

Lewis Pitts: Legal profession fails to pursue, protect justice

Posted: Sunday, February 7, 2016 12:00 am

By Lewis Pitts

After being a civil rights lawyer for 43 years, I forced the N.C. Bar to let me resign rather than take “inactive status membership.” Allow me to explain why.

In the first paragraph of my 2014 resignation letter, I said: “My resignation is because I see ....

http://www.greensboro.com/opinion/columns/lewis-pitts-legal-profession-fails-to-pursue-protect-justice/article_25418888-1a37-5f13-bd8a-944575041a34.html

Saturday, February 6, 2016

News & Observer: NC State Bar dismisses complaints against prosecutors in racially divisive case

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article58916553.html

NC State Bar dismisses complaints against prosecutors in racially divisive case

BY JOSEPH NEFF

jneff@newsobserver.com

For most of 2015, the North Carolina State Bar vigorously and publicly pressed ethics charges against two anti-death penalty lawyers for what were eventually judged to be unimportant inaccuracies in two sworn affidavits.

During the same time, the bar privately dismissed complaints that three prominent prosecutors – one running for attorney general, another now a Superior Court judge ....

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article58916553.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article58916553.html

News & Observer: Former NC Supreme Court justice calls for review of state bar

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article58916823.html

Former NC Supreme Court justice calls for review of state bar

BY ANNE BLYTHE

ablythe@newsobserver.com

RALEIGH

Bob Orr, a former North Carolina Supreme Court justice, says it’s time for a comprehensive outside review of the state agency that oversees lawyers.

Orr, a licensed lawyer in North Carolina for four decades, is part of a committee looking at legal ....

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article58916823.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article58916823.html

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

News & Observer: Bar dismisses grievance against lawyer who worked on Racial Justice Act cases

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article58002193.html

FEBRUARY 2, 2016 6:01 PM

Bar dismisses grievance against lawyer who worked on Racial Justice Act cases

Cassandra Stubbs cleared in unusual case

Bar panel reconsidered its earlier admonishment

Peer’s case handled differently

BY ANNE BLYTHE

ablythe@newsobserver.com

RALEIGH

An N.C. State Bar disciplinary panel has vacated a five-month-old ruling against Cassandra Stubbs, a lawyer who worked on successful Racial Justice Act cases.

The panel issued a new order Monday that dismissed the grievance filed against the Durham defense attorney and entered a judgment in Stubbs’ favor. The admonishment she received has been wiped off her record from a disciplinary ....

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article58002193.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article58002193.html

NC Supreme Court: Order denying Tillett's motion for discretionary review

https://appellate.nccourts.org/orders.php?t=PA&court=1&id=305484&pdf=1&a=0&docket=1&dev=1

Monday, February 1, 2016

WRAL: State Bar reverses itself, clears lawyer in Racial Justice Act case of wrongdoing

http://www.wral.com/state-bar-reverses-itself-clears-lawyer-in-racial-justice-act-case-of-wrongdoing/15306718/

State Bar reverses itself, clears lawyer in Racial Justice Act case of wrongdoing

Posted February 1

RALEIGH, N.C. — A disciplinary panel of the North Carolina State Bar has dismissed a complaint against a lawyer who participated in the first case to be heard under the Racial Justice Act, five months after the lawyer was admonished for her actions in the case.

Cassandra Stubbs was part of a team of lawyers who represented Marcus Robinson, whose death sentence was commuted in 2012 after .....