On Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Athens attorney Michael Clem Lambert has been suspended from practicing law in the State of Alabama for a period of 91 days, as ordered by the Supreme Court of Alabama. The suspension comes as a result of Lambert’s admission of guilt in violating the Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct, according to the Disciplinary Commission’s Order.

In ASB No. 2021-819, Lambert admitted to breaching several rules, including Rule 1.3 (Diligence), Rule 1.4 (Communication), Rule 1.5(c) (Fees), Rule 1.15 (Safekeeping Property), and Rule 8.4(g) (Misconduct) of the Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct.

The disciplinary action stems from a case in which Lambert was retained on July 26, 2021, to represent a client involved in a personal injury matter following a car accident in 2016. The client filed a complaint accusing Lambert of failing to diligently and competently represent her in the case. Additionally, the client alleged that Lambert misappropriated settlement funds.

In ASB No. 2022-550, Lambert admitted to violating Rules 1.3 (Diligence), 1.4 (Communication), 1.6 (Confidentiality), 3.3 (Candor Toward the Tribunal), 3.4 (Fairness to Opposing Party and Counsel), and Rules 8.4(c), (d), and (g) (Misconduct) of the Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct.

This violation came to light when Lambert was retained by a client to handle a post-divorce contempt matter involving a quitclaim deed. The client alleged that Lambert failed to communicate with him, neglected to properly prosecute his case, and improperly altered the deed.

The Supreme Court’s decision to suspend Lambert reflects the seriousness of the violations and the importance of upholding professional conduct standards within the legal profession. Lambert’s suspension serves as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical obligations to clients and the consequences they may face for failing to meet those obligations.

Attorney Lambert practices in Athens, Alabama. He is licensed in Alabama. His info can be found on avvo.com.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.