High court reinstates Milwaukee attorney’s license, restarts disciplinary proceeding

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court has reinstated a Milwaukee attorney’s license to practice law but has also revived a disciplinary proceeding against him.

Godfrey Muwonge, a former immigration lawyer, had petitioned the court to reinstate his license in June. A public hearing on the matter was held on March 16.

The high court suspended Muwonge’s license indefinitely in 2008 because of medical conditions that he brought up after disciplinary proceedings had started against him.

Those proceedings stemmed from a complaint the Office of Lawyer Regulation filed against Muwonge in 2007 alleging 43 counts of misconduct. Muwonge later petitioned the court for voluntary revocation of his law license, and the justices granted his request. He later, though, asked the court to take his medical troubles in consideration.

During the disciplinary proceeding it was found that Muwonge suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, chemical addictions, migraines, social phobia and suicidal thoughts. Many of these maladies stemmed from the time he spent in Uganda early in his life. As a young man, he had been arrested there, interrogated and tortured for his perceived involvement in a resistance group.

In addition to suspending Muwonge’s license, the justices in 2008 also halted the disciplinary proceedings against him.

The justices on Friday revived the proceedings. They said Supreme Court Rules require such proceedings to restart after an attorney’s license is reinstated and call for the court to then issue a separate determination on the matter.

The justices put several conditions on Muwonge’s license reinstatement:

• Muwonge must continue to participate for two years in the Wisconsin Lawyer Assistance Program.
• An attorney must supervise Muwonge’s practice of law. The justices appointed Howard Block, the attorney who formerly represented Muwonge after he sought asylum from Uganda in the U.S. Block will send regular written reports to the OLR and speak with Muwonge’s mental-health and substance-abuse providers.
• Muwonge must continue mental-health treatment and at least one provider must send OLR regular reports.
• He also must pay any money owed to the Wisconsin Lawyer Protection Fund as well as any outstanding costs. According to court records, he owes $47,743.35 in claims the fund paid out to former clients.

The high court also ordered Muwonge to pay the full cost of the reinstatement proceeding and restitution.

Muwonge graduated from Marquette University Law School and had been licensed to practice in the state since 1997. While his license was suspended, Muwonge cared for his children, one of whom is autistic. Follow @erikastrebel