Michigan Attorney Overturns Disbarment Tied to Use of Client Fee

A criminal defense attorney who allegedly misspent a client’s advance fee and failed to repay it deserves to have his license suspended but not revoked altogether, the Michigan Supreme Court said in reversing a decision from a state discipline board.

James Sterling Lawrence, who has argued litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court, was ordered disbarred by the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board in September over allegations he misused client fees.

Lawrence, a criminal defense attorney, allegedly requested an advance fee to conduct preliminary research and file a motion seeking reversal of a 1981 first-degree murder case. Lawrence deposited the fee into ...