Professional Responsibility — suspension

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Wisconsin Supreme Court

Civil

Professional Responsibility — suspension

Where attorney Bridget E. Boyle habitually neglected to communicate with her clients, a six-month suspension is appropriate.

“With respect to the discipline to be imposed, we depart from the referee’s recommendation and from the OLR’s suggestion that a four-month suspension is sufficient. We are particularly concerned by the blame-shifting strategy that Attorney Boyle frequently uses to try minimize her ethical missteps. This strategy demonstrates that Attorney Boyle does not fully understand her ethical obligations as a lawyer. The purpose of lawyer discipline is to protect the public, the courts, and the legal profession in Wisconsin from incompetent and unfit attorneys. See In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against Hankel, 126 Wis.2d 390, 394, 376 N.W.2d 848 (1985). The public, the courts, and the Wisconsin legal profession need protection from Attorney Boyle until she demonstrates to this court, before she resumes practice, that she has made efforts to remedy the causes of her repeated failures to serve her clients ethically. A six-month suspension is therefore necessary. See SCR 22.28(3). It is also consistent with the range of discipline this court has imposed for similar misconduct. See, e.g., In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against Joset, 2008 WI 41, 309 Wis.2d 5, 748 N.W.2d 778 (six-month suspension for failing to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing clients, failing to keep clients reasonably informed about the status of a matter and promptly comply with reasonable requests for information, failing to comply with court orders, and failing to cooperate with the investigation into misconduct); In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against Glynn, 2000 WI 117, 238 Wis.2d 860, 618 N.W.2d 740 (nine-month suspension for failing to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing clients, failing to explain matters reasonably necessary to permit clients to make informed decisions regarding their representation, and failing to cooperate with the investigation into misconduct).”

2011AP1767-D OLR v. Boyle

Per Curiam.

Attorneys: For Appellant: Boyle, Bridget E., Milwaukee; For Respondent: Krohn, Robert G., Edgerton; Weigel, William J., Madison