On Thursday, July 17, 2025, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Judicial Department granted the motion by the Attorney Grievance Committee for the First Judicial Department to disbar attorney Richard Daniel Dorfman and remove his name from the roll of attorneys in New York, effective retroactively to December 10, 2024. The decision stems from Dorfman’s felony conviction in Florida for vehicular homicide.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Richard Daniel Dorfman,” with case number 2024-02568.
The Attorney Grievance Committee sought his disbarment under Judiciary Law § 90(4)(a) and (b), citing his conviction of a felony as defined by New York law, which mandates automatic disbarment.
On December 10, 2024, Dorfman pleaded guilty in Florida’s Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County to vehicular homicide, a second-degree felony under Florida Statutes § 782.071(1)(a). The conviction relates to an August 26, 2022, motor vehicle accident where Dorfman’s reckless operation of a vehicle, involving misuse of its “full self-driving” feature and excessive speed, caused the death of another motorist.
The Supreme Court of Florida suspended Dorfman from practicing law on December 16, 2024, effective January 15, 2025, pending further disciplinary proceedings. Dorfman notified the Attorney Grievance Committee of his conviction and suspension via letters dated December 11, 2024, and January 16, 2025.
The Attorney Grievance Committee argued that Dorfman’s Florida conviction is equivalent to New York’s manslaughter in the second degree, a class C felony under Penal Law § 125.15(1), which involves recklessly causing another person’s death.
The court found the statutes “essentially similar,” as both address reckless conduct leading to a fatality, supported by the details in the Florida information to which Dorfman pleaded guilty. The court’s ruling aligns with prior cases where out-of-state felony convictions for reckless driving or driving under the influence were deemed comparable to New York felonies.
The court’s disbarment order prohibits Dorfman from practicing law, appearing as an attorney, or providing legal advice. He must comply with rules for disbarred attorneys and return any secure pass issued by the Office of Court Administration.
According to Avvo, Mr. Dorfman acquired his law license in New York in 2007.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
