Ethy Awards

In this episode, humorist Sean Carter introduces four more Ethy nominees:

(1)  AMERICAN HISTORY X (Archie Bunker Award)

A Maryland lawyer was disbarred for, among other things, racist, sexist and homophobic posts on social media.

(2)  PULP FICTION (Critic's Choice Award)

An Indiana lawyer had a reprimand increased to a 30-day suspension based on his abrasive contact towards to the disciplinary authorities.

(3)  TRADING PLACES (Most Creative Billing)

A Pennsylvania lawyer consented to disbarment after being convicted of trading legal services for sex with five criminal defendant clients.

(4)  GOOD ADVICE (Eager Beaver Award)

A non-lawyer was fined $5,000 for providing legal advice and strategy to an inmate who was bringing a complaint against the prosecutor who put him away.

In this week's episode, Sean Carter introduces four new nominees:

(1)  SPEED KILLS (Eager Beaver Award)

The Ohio Supreme Court denied admission to an applicant due to his post-graduation spotty employment record, numerous speeding violations, domestic violence incidents and delinquent indebtedness.

(2)  THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT (AT&T Award)

A New York lawyer was suspended for six-months for lying to a client for five years about the status of a lawsuit that the lawyer never actually filed on behalf of the client.

(3)  SECRETARY (David Copperfield Award)

A Pennsylvania lawyer was suspended for six months for failing to properly supervise his secretary, who stole $119,000 from various client trust accounts.

(4)  RESPECT (Ms/Mr Uncongeniality Award)

A South Carolina magistrate was suspended for six months and ordered to undergo 15 days of anger management training following an incident in which he menaced the Chief Magistrate after she announced her COVID-19 implementation plan for courts in that county.

In this episode, Sean Carter introduces four new nominees in four different categories:

(1)  FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (Outlawyer Award)

The New York State Bar has issued an ethics opinion making clear that lawyers may represent licensed cannabis growers within the state and even partake of marijuana themselves, despite the fact that marijuana is still listed as a "controlled substance" under federal narcotics law.

(2)  HE SAID, SHE SAID (Hitchcock Award)

A Kansas lawyer was disbarred for making false allegations in two child custody cases, despite information that his claims were false.

(3)  DARK KNIGHT (Most Creative Tale)

A New Mexico lawyer was censured for making two contradictory claims about the same subject in two separate courts.

(4)  A QUIET PLACE (Joan Rivers Award)

A Delaware lawyer was held in civil contempt and fined $5,000 for his statements to the media in a case in which he was under a gag order.

Returning to our normal format, Sean Carter introduces the nominees in four (4) new cases in four (4) new categories:

(1)  MAID TO ORDER (Most Creative Billing)

An Ohio lawyer resigned from the bar after making sexual advances to five (5) women clients, including asking one client to clean his home in the nude.

(2)  THE STING (Outlawyer Award)

A New York lawyer was suspended for three (3) years after his conviction for attempting to help a friend extort money from another friend and use a rabbi to launder the ill-gotten proceeds.

(3)  PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES (Least Competent in a Legal Setting)

An Ohio lawyer received an 18-month suspension for a string of errors and omissions that resulted in a client not only losing her case but being jailed for 10 days as a result.

(4)  TAKING THE FALL (Most Conflicted in an Adversarial Proceeding)

The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that a lawyer who was initially retained to represent the ex-husband can be sued for malpractice by the ex-wife if the lawyer convinces her to take the fall for her former spouse when she is not otherwise represented by counsel.

This week, we change the format of the program to discuss a case that is making daily headlines in the news -- the movement to #freebritney.  In particular, lawyer and humorist Sean Carter draws on his extensive experience in the area (i.e., none) to explain the basics of Britney Spears' conservatorship.  And then returning to an area of relative-expertise, Carter discusses the bar complaints that have been filed against Spear's (former) court-appointed lawyer and the possible disciplinary action facing this lawyer if Spear's new legal team fulfills its mandate to take aggressive action against all of those who engaged in "conservatorship abuse."

We hope you enjoy this departure from our normal rapid-fire format and promise to return with four new Ethy Awards nominees next week.

In this episode, legal humorist Sean Carter introduces the four newest Ethy Award nominees and reveals his secret celebrity crush.  Everyone but Mrs. Carter is sure to enjoy this episode, introducing ...

(1)  MISERY (Worst Love Scene)

A Maine lawyer has consented to disbarment for making sexual advances towards two women clients, including what might have been the abduction of one of them.

(2)  RAW DEAL (Most Creative Tale)

The Illinois disciplinary authority has filed a complaint against a lawyer who plead guilty to forgery for changing the agreed upon terms of a judicial order in a divorce case, giving her clients more favorable terms.

(3)  IDENTITY THEFT (Best Use of Deceptive Marketing)

The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct has issued an advisory opinion cautioning lawyers against purchasing a competitor's name as a search engine "keyword" for the purpose of redirecting traffic meant for the competitor to the keyword purchaser.

(4)  SPEED (Most Creative Billing)

An Illinois lawyer has consented to disbarment after agreeing to represent a client in exchange for Adderall as payment.

In this week's episode, we have four new nominees in four (4) different categories:

1)  BABY MAMA (Most Impaired in a Non-Legal Setting)

The Illinois ARDC has filed a complaint against a lawyer who got involved in a bar brawl on Christmas Eve.

2)  DUMBO (David Copperfield Award)

A New Jersey lawyer serving as trustee to a private trust was disbarred for using trust assets for purely personal purposes, such as paying for a Disney World vacation and his Netflix subscription.

3)  HALL PASS (Outlawyer Award)

A Kansas lawyer working as a university professor was disbarred for selling marijuana edibles to students.

4)  CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (Most Creative Tale)

A one-year suspension is being recommended for a DC lawyer who made false statements in application for a FISA warrant in connection with the investigation of the Trump campaign during the 2016 election.

It's not often that legal ethics cases make national news, but that was the case this week when former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani received his first Ethy Awards nomination after being suspended from the bar for his role in Trump's effort to "stop the steal."  America's Mayor is joined by three other nominees in this hilarious episode:

(1)  THE NIGHT BEFORE (Most Impaired in a Legal Setting)

An Ohio lawyer has become the first ever two-time Ethy Award nominee after the disciplinary board recommended a six-month (stayed) suspension arising out of the lawyer's drunken outburst against a judge at a local bar association holiday party.

(2)  THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY (Most Creative Billing)

A complaint has been filed against an Illinois lawyer who billed more than 2,000 to a pro bono matter that had been closed the year before.

(3)  HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE (Archie Bunker Award)

A South Carolina lawyer was suspended for six months for his incendiary posts on Facebook about George Floyd, tattoos and other "hot button" issues.

(4)  BORAT 2 (Most Creative Tale)

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani was suspended from the practice of law pending the final resolution of the legal ethics complaint filed against him for his misleading statements to courts, legislators and the public in relation to the 2020 presidential election.

We're back with four (4) more Ethy Award nominees ...

(1)  PEEPING TOM (The Outlawyer Award)

A DC lawyer agreed to a stayed six-month suspension after he was convicted of attempted voyeurism for trying to record an upskirt video in a DC Metro station.

(2)  THE BANISHING (Best Supporting Actor in a Criminal Activity)

A Nebraska defense lawyer was publicly reprimanded for brokering a "banishment ban" with a local prosecutor whereby the defense lawyer would convince his client to plead guilty and then flee the state prior to sentencing on the condition that the defendant agree to never return to Nebraska.

(Note: The prosecutor received the same sanction for his part in the scheme).

(3)  JUDGE DREDD (Archie Bunker Award)

An Arkansas judge agreed to a 90 day suspension without pay for bullying three women public defenders who appeared before him.

(4)  CRASH (Worst Temper in a Non-Legal Setting)

A Florida disciplinary referee is recommending disbarment for a lawyer who repeatedly rammed her car into the car of someone parked in the driveway of her ex-husband's home, assaulted the ex-husband and spit on the cop who responded to the disturbance. 

To celebrate our 20th episode, we have included an audio clip from a live in-person Ethy Awards presentation.  And, of course, Sean Carter introduces four (4) new nominees for an upcoming Ethy Awards ceremony.  The nominees are:

(1)  THE WRONG WAY (Worst Temper in a Non-Legal Setting).

A New Jersey lawyer was censured after he assaulted a teenage pedestrian whom the lawyer came across while driving the wrong way down a residential street.

(2)  ANSWER THIS! (Worst Legal Strategy)

A New York lawyer has been suspended on interim basis and will be disbarred if he does not respond to inquiries from the bar within the next six months.

(3)  CODE NAME: THE CLEANER (Best Original Excuse)

A Louisiana Hearing Committee has recommended a one-year and one-day suspension for a lawyer who has relapsed into heavy drinking and refuses to acknowledge his behavior, but instead makes incredible excuses for failed alcohol screenings.

(4)  ME, MYSELF & IRENE (Pit Bull Award)

An Iowa lawyer has been suspended for 90 days for making recklessly false statements about a judge in his vexatious efforts to overturn a disappointing ruling in his own post-divorce preceding, in which he represented himself.

To become a patron of the podcast, please visit us at:

https://www.patreon.com/ethyawards