When Lawyers Break the Law
An interview with Hal R. Lieberman
Lawyers defend clients when they get in trouble with the law, but what happens when lawyers break the law? They could be subject not only to the criminal justice system but also the legal profession's disciplinary system. Hal Lieberman shares his wisdom with host, Joel Cohen.
About Hal R. Lieberman
“We [as lawyers] have special obligations to the courts and to the public as officers of the court.”
Hal Lieberman is a partner at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP. He is the former Principal Trial Attorney and Chief Counsel for the Departmental Disciplinary Committee in New York's First Department. During the past 17 years, he has defended hundreds of lawyers and law firms before disciplinary and grievance committees in connection with lawyer discipline complaints, formal disciplinary prosecutions, reciprocal discipline proceedings, post-conviction disciplinary proceedings, reinstatements, and matters related to bar admissions before the several New York character and fitness committees. He is the past partner-in-charge of the New York office of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP. Lieberman is the co-author of New York Attorney Discipline and a regular columnist for the New York Law Journal on the subject of Professional Discipline.
