On Wednesday, September 6, 2023, the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board’s Hearing Committee unanimously recommended denying the readmission of attorney Blake G. Williams. The recommendation comes after Williams filed a petition and application for readmission to the practice of law following his disbarment in 1998 for converting client funds.

The case is entitled “In the Matter of Blake G. Williams,” with case no. 23-DB-022.

The committee’s findings reveal that Williams failed to meet several key criteria required for readmission. Specifically, he did not comply with the prior discipline orders, as he did not pay restitution to Ms. Mona Lisa Herbert Fluker and her daughter, Rondricka Hunter, as mandated by his prior disbarment. Furthermore, the committee noted that there was no evidence of Williams engaging in the unauthorized practice of law during his period of suspension or disbarment. However, they also emphasized that Williams lacked the requisite remorse for his actions and did not adequately recognize the wrongfulness and seriousness of his prior conduct.

The committee also highlighted Williams’ inaccurate representations on professional license applications and tax returns. This raised concerns about his honesty and integrity, critical qualities for legal practice. Additionally, Williams fell short of fulfilling the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) requirements in the last two years, and although he had paid bar dues and other related fees, it was not enough to offset the other deficiencies.

Mona Lisa Fluker (formerly known as Mona Lisa Williams and Mona Lisa Herbert), a client of Williams, testified during the hearing. She stated that she had received a recent letter from Williams’ attorney but did not contact him due to a lack of trust. Rondricka Hunter, another client, testified that she had not received any communication from Williams until the recent letter and had not received any payment.

The report and recommendation states:

“Mr. Williams claims that he attempted to reach out to Ms. Fluker on behalf of Ms. Hunter, through family members, and through several attorneys, but provided no evidence of these attempts. No testimony was introduced, no affidavits were submitted, and no copies of any attempted correspondence were introduced. Mr. Williams’s testimony concerning his alleged attempts to contact his victims in an effort to make restitution during these eighteen years was found by the committee to be disingenuous.”

The committee’s recommendation to deny readmission is based on the assessment that reinstating Williams’ license to practice law would potentially lead to a repetition of the same or similar mistakes that led to his initial disbarment, potentially harming future clients.

The recommendation states:

“It is the opinion of the committee that reinstating Mr. Williams’ license to practice law in Louisiana would only set him up to commit the same or similar mistakes for which he was disbarred initially and would be detrimental to any potential clients. Therefore, the committee recommends that Mr. Williams’ petition and application for readmission to the practice of law be Denied.”

A copy of the original filing can be found here.