New Video from the Ethical Lawyer Learning Initiative (ELLI)

Service Under Louisiana Supreme Court Rule XIX: Primary Registration Statement Address

Louisiana Supreme Court Rule XIX is the governing rule for lawyer disciplinary enforcement in Louisiana.  Please view this important message from Deputy Disciplinary Counsel Megan Stafford of the Office of Disciplinary Counsel about what constitutes adequate service of process on a lawyer under Rule XIX.

Recent Decisions From the Louisiana Supreme Court

Deemed Admitted Matters (Louisiana Supreme Court Rule XIX, Section 11(E)(3)):

IN RE GRETA L. WILSON (New Orleans), 2018-B-1800 (1/19/2019): The respondent was previously disbarred for unrelated misconduct. The Court adjudged the respondent guilty of additional violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct and also extended the minimum period for seeking readmission by a period of two years. The respondent neglected a legal matter, failed to communicate with a client, failed to return an unearned fee, and failed to cooperate with ODC’s investigation.

Consent Discipline:

IN RE DAVID CARTAN LOKER GIBBONS, JR. (New Orleans), 2018-B-1793 (1/8/2019): The Court suspended the respondent for one year and one day, with all but six months deferred, for neglecting a client’s legal matters, some of which had prescribed, failing to communicate with his client, failing to timely disclose the malpractice, and misleading his client regarding the status of the matters.

IN RE DAVID W. ARDOIN (Thibodaux), 2018-B-1810 (1/8/2019): The Court suspended the respondent for one year and one day, fully deferred, based upon his arrest for driving while intoxicated.

IN RE SEAN P. MOUNT (New Orleans), 2018-B-1823 (1/8/2019): The Court suspended the respondent for one year and one day, fully deferred, based upon his arrest for driving while intoxicated.

IN RE BRIAN P. QUIRK (New Orleans), 2018-B-1857 (1/14/2019): The Court disbarred the respondent for submitting phantom billing entries to his law firm for work not performed but not billed to clients.

IN RE MICHAEL A. BETTS (Denham Springs), 2018-B-1870 (1/14/2019): The Court suspended the respondent for one year and one day, fully deferred, for mishandling his client trust account.

IN RE GERALD JOSEPH ASAY (Baton Rouge), 2018-B-2002 (1/18/2019): The Court suspended the respondent for three years, retroactive to the date of his interim suspension (7/21/2015), based upon his Alford plea to one count of negligent injuring.

Reinstatement/Readmission Matters:

IN RE LEONARD E. YOKUM, JR. (Hammond), 2018-OB-1809 (1/14/2019): The Court denied the petition for reinstatement filed by Mr. Yokum and ordered that he may not reapply for reinstatement until at least two years have passed from the date of the judgment.