On Friday, July 12, 2024, the Presiding Disciplinary Judge of the Arizona Supreme Court admonished Attorney Deean Gillespie Strub.

The case is entitled “In the Matter of Deean Gillespie Strub,” with case no. PDJ 2023-9009.

According to the Agreement for Discipline by Consent filed on July 5, 2024, Strub had represented both Keates and Amber in separate lawsuits against the Arizona Department of Child Safety regarding Amber’s removal from Keates’ care by DCS in 2013. In 2015, Strub and her firm began representing Keates in a civil rights lawsuit against DCS. Then in 2019, without informing Keates, Strub also filed a civil rights suit on behalf of Amber related to the same 2013 events involving DCS.

The agreement states that Strub did not disclose to Keates that she was also representing Amber until after Amber had signed a fee agreement with Strub’s firm. Keates only found out about the dual representation when Amber told her. By 2019, Keates’ lawsuit was nearing the end of discovery while Amber’s case was just beginning.

In October 2020, as Amber’s case began progressing toward settlement, Keates expressed concerns about a conflict of interest between her case and Amber’s to Strub. Strub and co-counsel Tom Connelly maintained there was no conflict at that time. However, Keates signed an agreement acknowledging the potential conflict.

Strub conditionally admitted in the consent agreement that her representation of both Keates and Amber simultaneously violated Arizona’s Rule of Professional Conduct 1.7 regarding conflicts of interest. The agreement proposed Strub receive an admonition for her misconduct.

Following a review of the consent agreement, the Presiding Disciplinary Judge of the Arizona Supreme Court issued a Final Judgment and Order on July 12, 2024 approving the agreement and formally admonishing Strub. The judge also ordered Strub to pay $1,233.20 to cover the costs of the disciplinary proceedings within 30 days.

The Disposition states:

“IT IS ORDERED that DEEAN GILLESPIE STRUB, Bar No. 009987, is admonished for her conduct in violation of the Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct, as outlined in the consent documents.”

According to martindale.com, Ms. Strub attended the Brigham Young University – J. Reuben Clark Law School. She acquired her law license in Arizona in 1985.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.