State’s high court suspends attorney’s license for 6 months

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday retroactively suspended attorney Daynel Hooker’s license for six months, effective March 1, 2011.

Hooker holds a Wisconsin law license but has practiced in Colorado. The Supreme Court’s discipline was intended to reciprocate what Colorado regulators had imposed after Hooker allegedly failed to file an amended plan in a bankruptcy case, did not appear at a confirmation hearing for the amended plan, and practiced Colorado law without a state license.

Colorado law permits attorneys to practice only federal law without a Colorado license. Hooker practiced federal law but allegedly also drew up a will for a husband and wife couple and counseled the couple on estate planning.

According to the high court’s mandate, Colorado regulators had previously suspended Hooker’s license for six months and placed her on a two-year probation for failing to promptly return unearned advance fees, not keeping client money in a trust fund, using client money for personal reasons and misleading a colleague about the unearned fees.

The mandate also noted that the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation temporarily suspended Hooker’s license in March because she didn’t cooperate with a grievance investigation, and administratively suspended her license in June because she had not completed continuing education requirements.