Interesting article in this morning’s New York Sun: Clinton Eligible, Once Again, To Practice Law, by Josh Gerstein:
After five years of banishment from the legal profession, President Clinton will be eligible this week to reclaim the law license he gave up as a consequence of the inaccurate responses he gave under oath to questions about his relationship with a White House intern.
Mr. Clinton’s suspension from the Arkansas bar, which he formally agreed to a day before leaving office in 2001, expires on Thursday. It is unclear whether the former president will seek reinstatement to the bar, but officials in Arkansas have been preparing for such a request….
A professor of legal ethics at New York University, Stephen Gillers, said he expected Mr. Clinton would seek to reclaim his Arkansas bar membership. "It would just be personal vindication," the professor said. "If he is admitted, he may see it as confirmation of his claim that the original transgression was not as bad as some made it out to be." Mr. Gillers said a law license also could help Mr. Clinton financially, by allowing him to become a rainmaker at a New York or Washington law firm….
While there appears to be little standing in the way of Mr. Clinton’s reinstatement to the Arkansas bar, rules for admission in New York and Washington could pose a challenge to him quickly joining those bars. Admission by reciprocity to the New York bar requires that an applicant show that he or she has spent five of the last seven years working as a lawyer….Mr. Gillers noted that at any point Mr. Clinton could try to gain admission to the New York or Washington bars by taking the bar examination. Like other bar applicants, he would also have to demonstrate good moral character.
18 responses to “President Clinton’s Bar Suspension Ends Thursday”
Bill Clinton — Back in Action!
Bill Clintons bar suspension ends on Thursday. I can see the new shingle now: Clinton and Hutz, Attorneys at Law…
Open Up and Say Law
Most of the Clinton news youll see this morning concerns whether or not Hillary Clinton was out of line for describing the House as being run like a plantation during Al Sharptons annual MLK celebration. Was Hillary pretending to be…
Clintons Bar Suspension Ending
Bill Clinton can get his law license back this Thursday! The New York Sun puts it gently.
After five years of banishment from the legal profession, President Clinton will be eligible this week to reclaim the law license he gave up as a consequence o…
I don’t see the problem here. His punishment is over. He was a well respected attorney prior to his life in politics.
I don’t think he would bother ever trying another case again. He gets a FORTUNE for his speaking engagements, and rightfully so. Unlike our current president, the man is eloquent and well spoken. He comes off as much more intelligent than people who have never met him give him credit for. Glass houses and all, try not to cast too many stones.
The major difference between his investigation and what is going on right now is that his senate was the opposing parties. Once Bushy has to face the music, people are going to start questioning why he refused to cooperate with the 9-11 commission, why he stood in the way of a FEMA investigation, and why his good buddies won all the contracts in Iraq…..
Hillary is right. The rich, coddled Bush Boy and his K Street backers run the House like a plantation, with overseer Hastert, his former shadow boss DeLay, and majority whip Blunt whippin’ the Grand Old Niggers into line. As for the Demo-rats? They nigger niggers — Cheney ’em!
And let’s not forget the immortal words of not so stealth Southern partisan Newt Gingrich: “I clearly fascinate them. I’m much more intense, much more persistent, much more willing to take risks to get it done. Since they think it is their job to run the plantation, it shocks them that I’m actually willing to lead the slave rebellion.”
Talk about the pot callin’ the kettle black!
To all:
You or I lie under oath to a grand jury or judge, we will be held in contempt, charged with perjury..facing fines, costs, depending to the extent and or nature of the crime, jail time.
Clinton deserves every penalty applicable, he has lost every inch of credibility required to stand before any jury. I pity the fools that believe in this man.
Clinton lost his law license for 5 years. What warranted it’s return? True repentance or some deal worked agreed upon by a Deputy Attorney Genral of Arkansas. He has shown absolutely no remorse for his actions to Our Country, Monica and his Wife (Remember Hillary!)
Dishonesty is Clinton’s Policy…always has been,
always will be. I know the “Man” from Hope gets his in the end.
Great quote: “as a consequence of the inaccurate responses he gave under oath”
This is a total load of CRAP!!! The people in this country never cease to amaze me along with it’s preferential treatment of the rich white bastards.
Clintoon was impeached as the freaking president!! Now, once, again, the liberal white people are going to let this criminal practice law?!?!
Good thing I’m finishing law school, nothing like job security in this completely racist mess.
Kent
Southern White Boy
Amazing you all BS about Clinton being a liar with the house of liars in the Whitehouse today how can anyone talk? Clinton’s lie was only a semantic lie..I did not have sex with her, well he didn’t have sex, he had foreplay. Yet bush lies to congress and the people and you all are still pissed at Clinton as your civil rights get raped, our budget robbed and distributed to bush’s buddies, our environment raped, our jobs shipped out and replaced with 1/3 of the jobs at 1/3 of the pay, invaded an innocent country while letting Osama Bin Forgotten escape (maybe cause he let 9-11 happen so the NCAP could engage in it’s attempt to control the mideast and it’s oil)….unbelievable. So many are so willing to trade every moral action in life for one or two issues, shame on all bush supporters.
JEFF: “You or I” would never have been asked by federal prosecutors if we ever slept with a frumpy 22 year old white chick. The ONLY bias in this Clinton affair was the GOP’s harrassing investigation, wasting $50 million dollars to find out he…cheated on his wife?
KENT: Clinton was only indicted, he was not convicted by Congress. A five year suspension is more than adequate given the circumstances. Clinton lied as a witness, not as counsel. The lie was totally irrelevant to the investigation, regarding something 100% legal. Bigger lies go unpunished in our divorce courts EVERY DAY.
The Ladies Man is baaaaack!
Hes Tanned.
Hes Rested.
Hes Horny.
Guess whos law license
gets UN-suspended
This Thursday?
While there appears to be little standing in the way of Mr. Clintons reinstatement to the Arkansas bar, rules for admis…
“as a consequence of the inaccurate responses he gave under oath”
That’s got to be one of the funniest things I’ve read all day. Thanks for the chuckles.
“Like other bar applicants, he would also have to demonstrate good moral character.”
And therein lies the rub.
Ada-
While I disagreed with the Star investigation (it was a fishing trip), the reality is this: If us mer mortals had lied on the stand like that, we’d be guilty of a FELONY. Spell it with me folks F-E-L-O-N-Y.
This guy (and any other lawyer so caught) should NEVER be allowed to practive law again, ANYWHERE. Period. Lawyers are ENTRUSTED with the LAWS of our society, and therefore held to the same standards, (if not higher) of other citizens.
Actually Clinton did NOT personally LIE! What he did was to allow his attorney to make the false statement that “He never had SEX OF ANY KIND” with Monica. THAT was an outright lie, and though he did NOT personally say that, he was liable for it by allowing his attorney to say it without correction.
When Clinton later admited that fact, his attorney immediately petitioned the judge to say that Clinton had lied to him and that HE did NOT know he was lying in saying that. If he had NOT done that, HE would have been sanctioned as well.
Unfortunately, the GOP leaders NOW say that perjury about leaking clasified intel in NOT a BIG deal in the Libby case. I leave it up to the people to decide which is the greater offense. Lying about ones personal sex life or outing a spy which cost the US millions of dollars in blown covers and a blown front company they spent time and money establishing.
Oh boy.
I love the claims of racism.
Bill Clinton was no racist – he was and is considered by most black leadership to be the first Black President.
The point is that our system of justice relies on punishment and forgiveness (assuming rehabilitation). Hence, he ‘served’ his time (5 years- no lawyering) and there hasn’t been any indication that his behavior was ever repeated.
regardless, I find it curious that this country made such a spectacle of our presidents infidelity yet every time we criticize Bush, we get accused of being unamerican. The REAL issue wasn’t that he lied to congress or cheated on his wife (most american presidents, including the most respected and famous, did much worse – kennedy, lincoln, washington, etc.), the issue was that the republican congress had the power to force an investigation (that wasted millions of taxpayer dollars) against a democratic president. The most damning evidence of his illegality was that he received oral sex from a naive, frumpy, chubby girl who was pleased as punch to give it to him. Did he lie? I don’t think he did. He never had sex with Monica, he received oral copulation. He was never asked that question and any GOOD lawyer would have done what he did, ask for definition of the term and stick to that definition.
Regardless, as a law school hopeful and a member of a family of attorneys, I can tell you that MOST lawyers have more than a few skeletons in their closets. I have known more than a few attorneys that covered things up, lied, omitted, etc.
Grow up and lose the half hearted idealism. Bush lied too, and we’ll hear about it in the coming years. Clinton wasn’t perfect, but at least he didn’t sound like a third grader every time he opened his mouth. Bush embarrasses the nation every time he speaks….
Alright, I will say this. Clinton is the king of spin. Several of you self proclaimed intellectuals are ranting and raving that his loss of license was due to the fact that he lied to congress about his infidelity. One: I do not agree with his infidelity or his obvious dishonesty about his infidelity. Perhaps legally he had a point but lets remember what is legal is not always right. Two: The real reson that he should have been impeached and the reason he was suspended from practicing law was because he was interfereing in an investigation against himself. He had a civil suit against him in which he was illegaly using his office and his power to influence the outcome. It did not involve his infidelity with Monica Lewinski. Clinton used his power and position and wantingly abused his power to control the outcome of a suit against him. If you want specifics, look it up. Furthermore, lets not use the current president as a comparison. I continually hear individuals screaming that he lied. If he conspired all this time to lead the nation into a war for his own gain then he would be guilty of a truely machiavellian conspiracy. As it happens you cannot accuse a man as being one of the worst and underhanded conspirators and then accuse him of being dim-witted in the same breath. People are letting their bias control their opinions about presidents. Conservatives will back Bush no matter what and liberals will bash him no matter what. Each side is guilty of the same crimes. If the shoe was on the other foot you would mimic the behavior you now claim to deplore. The facts Clinton knowingly lied and used taxpayer money to help him in a private suit. Coerced witnesses throuh threats and bribes to lie under oath and he himself in the same matter was found guilty of perjuring himself. He has shown his true self by displaying how devoid of morals and character he is, but then again thats what makes a great lawyer.
Need a Lawyer? Clinton is Available
President Clinton’s bar suspension, a residual effect of that whole intern thing, ended yesterday.
Need a Lawyer? Clinton is Available
President Clinton’s bar suspension, a residual effect of that whole intern thing, ended yesterday.