On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, the Supreme Court of California disbarred attorney Claudia Alice Cullison from practicing law in the state, striking her name from the roll of attorneys. Cullison faced this action following a disciplinary proceeding rooted in professional misconduct originally addressed in Oregon. The court’s decision mandates that Cullison adhere to specific requirements, including notifying clients and paying monetary sanctions.

The case is entitled “In the Matter of Claudia Alice Cullison,” with case no. S288288.

The disbarment stems from a case initiated by the State Bar Court of California. Documents reveal that Cullison failed to participate in the disciplinary proceedings despite multiple notification attempts by the Office of Chief Trial Counsel (OCTC). Her default was entered on May 21, 2024, after she did not respond to a Notice of Disciplinary Charges (NDC) filed on March 20, 2024. The NDC was served via certified and first-class mail to her official State Bar address, though the certified mail was returned marked “Not at this address.”

Efforts to contact Cullison were extensive. On March 4, 2024, OCTC posted a notice of intent to file charges on her State Bar profile and emailed her official address. Later, on March 18, 2024, OCTC researched her online presence, locating a phone number on what appeared to be her law firm’s Facebook and Yelp pages, but a voicemail left at that number went unanswered. Additional emails to both her State Bar and a secondary email from her Facebook page also received no reply. Further attempts—via phone calls, faxes, and mail to various contact points sourced from Google, Westlaw, and the Oregon State Bar—proved unsuccessful.

The disciplinary action traces back to misconduct in Oregon, where, on December 8, 2022, the Oregon Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Board suspended Cullison for 90 days. She stipulated several ethical breaches: delaying a client’s bankruptcy petition filing for about seven months, neglecting regular communication with clients despite their efforts to reach her, not informing clients of her suspended status, ignoring inquiries from Oregon’s Disciplinary Counsel, and using an email footer suggesting she was licensed to practice during her suspension. These actions violated multiple California Rules of Professional Conduct, including rules on diligence, client communication, honesty, and unauthorized practice of law, as alleged in the NDC and deemed admitted upon her default.

Under California law, a final disciplinary order from another state serves as conclusive evidence of misconduct unless the attorney proves it wouldn’t warrant discipline in California or that the proceedings lacked constitutional fairness. Cullison, by not participating, failed to challenge the Oregon findings. Consequently, on September 4, 2024, OCTC petitioned for her disbarment under State Bar Rule 5.85, which outlines procedures for attorneys who default after proper notice. The petition noted no prior discipline, no pending matters, and no Client Security Fund claims tied to her actions. The State Bar Court, in a decision dated October 23, 2024, by Judge Dennis G. Saab, recommended disbarment, finding all procedural requirements met.

The Supreme Court’s order requires Cullison to comply with California Rules of Court, Rule 9.20, notifying clients and others of her disbarment within 30 and 40 days of the filing date, respectively. She must also pay $5,000 in sanctions to the State Bar’s Client Security Fund, as authorized by Business and Professions Code Section 6086.13 and Rule 5.137, an amount enforceable as a money judgment.

The Disposition states:

“The court orders that Claudia Alice Cullison (Respondent), State Bar Number 175954, is disbarred from the practice of law in California and that Respondent’s name is stricken from the roll of attorneys.”

According to apps.calbar.ca.gov, Ms. Cullison acquired her law license in California in 1994.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.