A GOOD START

Docu-Series

STATUS: In Production

“He told us for two years that the settlement was on the way, when he had not only received it but had spent it all. My family was forced onto welfare while he was spending our money on a luxury lifestyle.” - Robert

“His lawyer called me a drug addict in the court file. Because of that claim, I was called a drug addict in the press who cited that filing. I was ordered to be drug tested. Child protective services were called in to investigate. I lost my job. I have never even taken drugs, I don’t even smoke or drink. Finally after nearly destroying my life and my family, 6 months after the allegation, the judge asked the lawyer for the source of the claim. He said that he wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard it somewhere. No proof, just a tactic so the insurance company wouldn’t have to pay as much for my injury. For the rest of my life, I am going to have the stigma of being a drug addict thanks to him. I complained to the Bar Association and was told that there was no basis for disciplinary action.” Sarah

“He gave me two options. I could have sex with him and he would get my husband out of jail or refuse and let my husband rot. When I went to another lawyer, he just laughed and said that that guy “had a reputation for that.” - Martine

What do you call 1000 lawyers at the bottom of a cliff?

A good start.

It’s an old joke, but for Americans who have been victimized by “bad” lawyers, it is a growing sentiment.

In 2020, the American Bar Association received nearly 90,000 complaints against lawyers. The majority were filed by clients who were surprised by unfavorable verdicts, upset about billing issues, or were generally unsatisfied by their legal experience.

However, a significant number of “bar complaints” alleged a wide range of much more serious offenses by lawyers, not only against their own clients, but against their client’s opponents, and even against other lawyers and judges. Complaints involve serious ethics violations, sexual abuse, corruption and pay-for-verdicts, doxxing and extortion, fraud and financial crimes, violence, and even murder.

Of those 90,000 complaints, less than 1,500 lawyers were suspended (temporarily) and only 650 lawyers were disbarred. Client advocates suggest that a system where lawyers review their peers in a “behind-closed-doors,” private inquiry system is part of the problem. Corruption, including a “pay-to-make-it-go-away” arrangements, where disgraced lawyers simply pay and the complaint will be rejected, are endemic. Some lawyers have dozens of bar complaints, with nothing more than a verbal reprimand.

But as more and more people are turning to social media to compare notes on their experiences, bad lawyers are being outed and advocates are getting a peek into both the Bar Association system and the insane power that a lawyer can posses.

A Good Start is an episodic series detailing some of the most shocking and outrageous cases of lawyers behaving badly, the people who trusted them, and advocates working to hold bad lawyers accountable.