Nov. 6, 2009
Victims of Attorney Theft Received Nearly $700,000 in Fiscal Year 2009
In Fiscal Year 2009, the Clients’ Security Fund of Ohio awarded nearly $700,000 for 111 claims of attorney theft.
These statistics and others are contained in the fund’s 24th annual report, which was released today. The report also includes a summary of the overall operations of the fund as well as a detailed analysis of claims activity for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008 and ending June 30, 2009.
Claim activity during Fiscal Year 2009 included the consideration of 152 claims during quarterly board meetings. The Board of Commissioners for the fund awarded $669,200.42 for the 111 claims that were determined eligible for reimbursement resulting from the dishonest conduct of 32 attorneys. The board also determined that two attorney fee applications were eligible for reimbursement of $600 in attorney fees.
A substantial number of unearned fee claims reviewed by the board in FY 2009 involved two attorneys: James L. Major Jr. and Kenneth L. Lawson. The board reimbursed $63,837 to 36 former clients of Mr. Major, who practiced in Cuyahoga County until resigning with discipline pending on Sept. 8, 2007. The board reimbursed $70,395 to 19 former clients of Mr. Lawson, who practiced in Hamilton County until the Supreme Court indefinitely suspended his license to practice law in Ohio on July 9, 2008.
Other statistics from the report include:
- 305 new claims were filed.
- 107 claimants received 100 percent reimbursement of their loss.
- 90 claims were dismissed.
- 39 claims were ruled ineligible.
- Four claimants received the maximum ($75,000) award amount.
The fund seeks to restore public confidence in the legal profession by reimbursing law clients for losses sustained as a result of the dishonest conduct of their attorney. The attorneys who were cited for dishonest conduct represent less than 0.1 percent of the 42,164 active Ohio attorneys.
The fund – created in 1985 by Gov. Bar R. VIII of the Supreme Court Rules for the Government of the Bar – is supported entirely from the Attorney Registration Fund, and does not receive any tax revenues. Since its inception, the fund has allocated more than $14 million to 1,795 former law clients.
View the Clients' Security Fund 2009 Annual Report.
View the Attorney Services 2009 Annual Report.
Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow, 614.387.9250.