On Wednesday, July 12, 2023, the State of Minnesota Supreme Court reinstated attorney Jennifer L. Casanova-Roers after being suspended for failure to clearly disclose to an unrepresented person that their interests were adverse to those of her client.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Jennifer L. Casanova-Roers” with case no. A22-1813.
On April 25, 2023, the State of Minnesota Supreme Court suspended Casanova-Roers for her failure to clearly disclose to an unrepresented person that their interests were adverse to those of her client. As per the court document, a disciplinary petition has been filed by the Director of the Office of Lawyers Responsibility, leveling accusations of professional misconduct against the same, which calls for public discipline. The specific charges entail representing clients despite an unavoidable conflict of interest, failure to adequately disclose to an unrepresented individual the adversarial nature of their interests compared to her client’s, and providing legal advice to an unrepresented person instead of advising them to seek legal counsel.
Casanova-Roers wholeheartedly then admitted to the allegations in the petition, and both parties jointly proposed a recommended sanction of a 60-day suspension, followed by a two-year period of unsupervised probation.
Following her discipline, Casanova-Roers sought reinstatement. The court granted the same and she has been reinstated to practice law but placed on probation for two years. The conditions of probation include cooperation with the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, adherence to the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct, and maintaining appropriate office procedures for conflict identification and dealing with unrepresented parties. Moreover, the order stated that by April 25, 2024, the petitioner must provide proof of successful completion of the written examination required for admission to the practice of law by the Minnesota State Board of Law Examiners on professional responsibility because failure to do so will lead to automatic suspension until proof is provided.
The Disposition states:
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT: 1. Respondent Jennifer L. Casanova-Roers is reinstated to the practice of law. 2. Respondent is placed on probation for a period of 2 years, subject to the following terms and conditions.”
Ms. Casanova-Roers practices in Saint Paul. She has been admitted to practice in Minnesota with license #0332690. Her info can be found on Avvo.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
