On Friday, September 19, 2025, the Supreme Court of Illinois disbarred attorney Steven Jacob Barkin, following reciprocal disciplinary action stemming from his disbarment in California. The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) petitioned the court to impose the same discipline as California, citing Barkin’s misappropriation of client funds.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Steven Jacob Barkin,” with case no. M.R.032714.
Barkin faced disciplinary proceedings in California in 2024, culminating in his disbarment on January 6, 2025, by the Supreme Court of California. The ARDC’s petition detailed the misconduct that led to Barkin’s disbarment in California.
The California proceedings revealed multiple instances of misconduct. In one instance, Barkin represented Eun Chu Lee in a civil matter in 2019 that resulted in a significant settlement. Lee subsequently made investments totaling $361,000 with Tom Choi, Barkin’s office manager, with Barkin’s knowledge. These investments, intended for properties, a karaoke bar, and a restaurant, were facilitated by checks made payable to Barkin and deposited into his accounts. However, Barkin misappropriated these funds, depositing some into his general account instead of his client trust account, and only returned $37,000 to Lee. Lee later sued Barkin and Choi for malpractice and fraud, with the court ruling in her favor in July 2023. Barkin failed to report this judgment to the California State Bar as required.
In another instance, in February 2023, Barkin deposited two $5,000 checks intended for Christine and Ronnie Choi into his client trust account, only to misappropriate the $10,000 the following day. He later replaced the funds with a $35,000 check from an unrelated matter.
Furthermore, Barkin represented Scott Hurst in a “lemon law” suit, settling the case for $35,000 in December 2021, with $22,000 owed to Hurst. Barkin deposited the settlement check in January 2022 but failed to notify Hurst. He then misappropriated Hurst’s settlement funds between January and February 2022, ignoring Hurst’s inquiries until wiring the full amount between April and May 2022.
The California disciplinary proceedings concluded that Barkin violated rules requiring lawyers to hold client funds in trust, promptly notify clients of fund receipt, provide accountings, and distribute undisputed funds. He also violated a California code requiring attorneys to report civil judgments against them for fraud or negligence and committed acts involving moral turpitude, dishonesty, or corruption. The stipulated amount of misappropriated funds totaled $393,000, with $324,000 still owed to Lee.
Aggravating factors included Barkin’s prior disciplinary history. He had been previously suspended in 1996 for misappropriating client funds and making misrepresentations, and again in 2001 for similar misconduct. Additional aggravating factors in the present case included multiple acts of wrongdoing, significant harm to clients, and failure to make restitution. While Barkin acknowledged his misconduct, the California Supreme Court disbarred him and ordered him to pay restitution to Lee. The Illinois Supreme Court’s decision to disbar Barkin reciprocally follows this action.
The Disposition states:
“Petition by the Administrator of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission to impose reciprocal discipline pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 763(a)(I). Allowed. Respondent Steven Jacob Barkin, who has been disciplined in the State of California, is disbarred in the State of Illinois.”
According to Avvo.com, Mr. Barkin is a litigation attorney in Los Angeles, California. He attended the Chicago-Kent College of Law at Illinois Institute of Technology. He acquired his law license in Illinois in 1977.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
