In the Public's Benefit - Installment 2009-5

Attorney Robert Simels (New York Law School – J.D., 1974) became a convicted felon late this month, under 12 counts -- including bribery of a witness, attempted witness tampering and conspiracy to commit witness tampering -- due to his efforts to prevent potential witnesses from testifying against his client, Guyanese drug-smuggler Shaheed "Roger" Khan. Mr. Simels' former associate, attorney Arienne Irving (SUNY- Buffalo) , was convicted of five of 11 counts, including attempted witness tampering and conspiracy to commit witness tampering.

At this writing, Simels's online biography includes these MEMBERSHIPS AND COMMITTEE POSITIONS:
Association of the Bar of the City of New York - Criminal Justice Operations Committee; Professional Discipline Committee; Professional Responsibility Committee; Chairman, Forfeiture Committee – N.Y.S. Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Corrections Committee, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Faculty member - NITA; Faculty member - Practicing Law Institute; Federal Bar Council; ABA

In December, 2008, we had posted Law Schools Do Not Seem to Compete for the Public's Benefit contending that Law school reputations currently connote to the public only vague expectations of how brazen and arrogant its graduates behave.

Law school admission standards must be tightened for the entire public to better rely on reputations of respective law schools for producing graduates of innate integrity.

Improving law school admissions standards, although certainly in the public interest, is highly unlikely. After all, law schools are not military academies and most lawyers were never Eagle Scouts nor recipients of Girl Scout equivalent Gold Awards.

We expected, to be posting with increasing frequency about the brazen corruption and ethical lapses of lawyers in public office. The latest felon is has been a member of the U.S. House. The kind of dough those not in public office could afford to throw around could certainly influence some in public office:

Shamed law schools will be identified to awaken the public. Stay tuned.

Guess Who is Fighting Consumer Identity Theft Protections by Corporate Guardians

Lax security of personal data files kept by organizations increasingly exposes individuals to the risk of identity theft. Since 2005, for example, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has registered over 900 data breaches caused by US companies and government agencies. Over 200 million records containing sensitive personal information, like social security numbers, were involved.

After 1998 testimony from industry groups, the FTC agreed to self-regulating restrictions on access to credit reports information:

The Commission encourages the credit card industry to pursue perpetrators of identity theft and the consumer reporting agencies to continue to work with consumer victims to ensure the accuracy of their records. The Commission also believes that consumer victims need to be formally recognized as crime victims, complete with rights of restitution. The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1997 should go a long way toward lessening the harm identity theft inflicts on innocent consumers.

Fast forward to 2009 RESULT: ID-Theft Ring Ensnares Even the Fed Chairman

More currently (From the BLT: The Blog of LegalTimes),

The American Bar Association is suing the Federal Trade Commission in federal district court in Washington to block enforcement of regulations that require businesses and organizations that act as "creditors" to establish a program for preventing identity theft, The National Law Journal reports. Lawyers, doctors and other professionals are included in the FTC's definition of creditors because customers are billed after services are provided. The ABA is challenging that interpretation.

Thanks again, American Bar Association, you do so much to (select the answer that fits best):
a) please lawyer-politicians supported by corporate lobbyists
b) assure the job security of your membership
c) both a) and b)
d) inhibit the growth of national crime patterns

Which of the above, American Bar Association, is "not your job"? ans.: d)

In the Public's Benefit - Installment 2009-4

William Jennings "Bill" Jefferson (HARVARD LAW - 1972) is now a convicted felon and the 3rd high-profile lawyer to be found guilty of felony (after Joseph P. Collins and Marc S. Dreier), since July 11, 2009. Two of the villains are HARVARD LAW graduates.

In December, 2008, we had posted Law Schools Do Not Seem to Compete for the Public's Benefit contending that Law school reputations currently connote to the public only vague expectations of how brazen and arrogant its graduates behave.

Law school admission standards must be tightened for the entire public to better rely on reputations of respective law schools for producing graduates of innate integrity.

Improving law school admissions standards, although certainly in the public interest, is highly unlikely. After all, law schools are not military academies and most lawyers were never Eagle Scouts nor recipients of Girl Scout equivalent Gold Awards.

We expected, to be posting with increasing frequency about the brazen corruption and ethical lapses of lawyers in public office. The latest felon is has been a member of the U.S. House. The kind of dough those not in public office could afford to throw around could certainly influence some in public office:

Shamed law schools will be identified to awaken the public. Stay tuned.