On Thursday, January 15, 2026, the Illinois Supreme Court granted a motion by attorney Paul Vernon Bishop II to have his name removed from the roll of attorneys licensed to practice law in the state.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Paul Vernon Bishop II,” with case number M.R.032873.
The action stems from a motion filed by Bishop on November 5, 2025, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 762(a), which allows an attorney to voluntarily request to be disbarred. Filed concurrently with Bishop’s motion was a statement of charges prepared by Lea S. Gutierrez, Administrator of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC), and Bishop’s affidavit in support of the motion.
The ARDC’s statement of charges detailed a series of alleged misconduct incidents involving Bishop. These included a guilty plea to possession of a controlled substance (cocaine) in Richland County case number 2023-CF-99 on February 28, 2024, for which he was sentenced to 24 months of probation. The statement also outlined additional charges related to drug possession and driving under the influence incidents in March and April of 2024.
Furthermore, the ARDC alleged neglect of client matters, false statements to clients, and improper handling of client funds. One instance involved a client, S.W., who paid Bishop $4,214.22 to settle a lien and obtain pension benefits, but Bishop allegedly failed to take action and provided false information about the status of the case. Another case involved H.G., who hired Bishop to handle her mother’s estate. Bishop allegedly drafted a quitclaim deed that inadvertently gave H.G.’s spouse an interest in the property, leading to financial repercussions in her divorce.
Additional allegations included failing to record a quitclaim deed for clients P.M. and S.B., neglecting a real estate transaction for M.B., and collecting an unreasonable fee from L.T. for a firearms restraining order case in which Bishop failed to appear. The ARDC also accused Bishop of converting client funds for personal use in the case of R.B. and neglecting a client matter for D.P.
In his affidavit, Bishop acknowledged that if the case proceeded to a hearing, the evidence presented, including judgments of conviction, would constitute conclusive evidence of his misconduct. He affirmed that his motion to strike his name from the roll of attorneys was made freely and voluntarily, and that he understood the nature and consequences of the petition.
According to Avvo, Mr. Bishop was an administrative law lawyer in Olney, IL. He acquired his law license in Illinois in 2007.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
