Lawyer-turned-contractor appealing recommended revocation of law license

Listen to this article

A former Dane County lawyer who now runs a construction company is challenging a recommendation that his law license be indefinitely suspended.

Lawyer-regulation authorities charged James Hammis in 2014 with 48 counts of misconduct, including lying to a judge, improperly transferring thousands of dollars from his trust account into his personal bank account and failing to file cases.

The Office of Lawyer Regulation had sought the revocation of Hammis’ license, meaning he would be indefinitely banned from practicing law in the state but could petition the court for reinstatement after five years. The OLR had also sought to have Hammis pay $400 in restitution to one of his clients.

Hammis agreed to admit to certain facts and pleaded no contest to certain charges, and the OLR agreed to drop some charges. They reached another stipulation in January, in which the OLR agreed to dismiss nine charges, bringing the total down to 41 counts of misconduct.

However, the OLR and Hammis disagreed on what sort of discipline ought to be imposed. The OLR contended that a revocation was appropriate. Hammis, on the other hand, contended that a year-long suspension should be imposed because the violations were minor.

The referee in the case, Lisa Goldman, sided with the OLR in a report filed in September.

Hammis filed his notice appealing Goldman’s decision on Oct. 16, according to court records.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will review Goldman’s recommendations and issue a final decision in the matter. Follow @erikastrebel