Advocate Discipline

Arkansas, United States, and the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States

William Jefferson Clinton: disciplinary decision

Decision, 19 January 2001Under an agreed order in Neal v. Clinton, Civ. No. 2000-5677, in Pulaski County Circuit Court, Clinton was "suspended for five years for his conduct in this matter," effective 19 January 2001, with a fine of 25,000 US dollars. The order was entered "in settlement of the pending action," the disbarment suit brought by the Arkansas Committee on Professional Conduct. Separately, the Supreme Court of the United States suspended him from its bar on 1 October 2001, then accepted his resignation from its bar on 13 November 2001, UPI reported.1,2,3

Pulaski County Circuit Court, Arkansas (agreed order in Neal v. Clinton), and the Supreme Court of the United States

What the decision found

In the agreed order Clinton admitted that he "knowingly gave evasive and misleading answers" in violation of Judge Wright's discovery orders concerning his relationship with Monica Lewinsky in the Paula Jones case. The order found that his conduct violated Model Rule 8.4(d), conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.1

Response

In a statement on 19 January 2001 Clinton said he had signed a consent order that "brings to an end that proceeding" and acknowledged that "certain of my responses to questions about Ms. Lewinsky were false." UPI reported that his lawyer David Kendall wrote to the Supreme Court that Clinton "respectfully requests to resign from the bar of this court."2,3

Appeal and later events

The Arkansas outcome was agreed and not appealed. UPI reported that on 1 October 2001 the Supreme Court of the United States suspended him and gave him 40 days to show cause why he should not be disbarred. On 13 November 2001 it accepted his resignation and ordered his name removed from its list of attorneys.3

Status now

The five-year Arkansas suspension ran from 19 January 2001. He resigned from the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States in November 2001. Whether he later sought reinstatement in Arkansas was not verified in the sources reviewed.1,3

This site covers only lawyers whose cases were widely reported and decided in published rulings. Each record states the decision exactly as the body made it, and any appeal or later change.

Sources

  1. Text of Pulaski County Circuit Court agreed order, reproduced by AustralianPolitics.com, Correspondence and agreed order in settlement of Clinton case (19 January 2001)
  2. Public Papers of the Presidents, US Government Publishing Office, Statement on Resolution of Legal Issues (19 January 2001)
  3. UPI, Court accepts Clinton resignation (13 November 2001)