On Tuesday, September 30, 2025, the D.C. Board on Professional Responsibility recommended the revocation of Kenneth L. Blackwell’s probation, the imposition of a previously stayed four-month suspension, and the conditioning of his reinstatement to the D.C. Bar on the fulfillment of his child support obligations.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Kenneth L. Blackwell,” with case number 22-BG-0565.
The recommendation stems from Blackwell’s failure to comply with the conditions of his probation, which were initially set due to repeated violations of child support orders and dishonesty towards Disciplinary Counsel.
The board’s decision follows a motion filed by Disciplinary Counsel on June 24, 2024, seeking to revoke Blackwell’s probation. The case was then referred to an Ad Hoc Hearing Committee, which conducted a three-day evidentiary hearing concluding on February 20, 2025. The Hearing Committee’s report, issued on September 3, 2025, concluded that Disciplinary Counsel had successfully proven, by a preponderance of the evidence, that Blackwell violated the terms of his probation.
Blackwell, a member of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals bar, was initially suspended for six months, with most of the suspension stayed, and placed on three-year probation in 2023. This initial disciplinary action, detailed in In re Blackwell, 299 A.3d 561 (D.C. 2023), arose from violations of D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct, specifically Rule 3.4(c) (knowingly disobeying court orders) and Rule 8.1(a) (knowingly making a false statement of fact during a disciplinary investigation).
Blackwell filed an exception to the Hearing Committee’s report on September 10, 2025, arguing that the committee’s report was filed outside the 60-day window stipulated by Board Rule 18.3(f). The Board dismissed this argument, citing In re Green, 136 A.3d 699 (D.C. 2016), noting that a delay alone does not impede disciplinary action without a showing of substantial prejudice, which Blackwell failed to demonstrate.
The Board concurred with the Hearing Committee’s findings that Blackwell had not complied with his child support obligations beyond a $100 payment in October 2024, had not established a monthly payment plan, and had not applied for a modification of the support orders.
The recommendation states:
“Like the Hearing Committee, we recommend that Respondent’s probation be revoked, that the previously stayed four months of suspension be imposed, and that Respondent’s reinstatement be conditioned on the payment of his child support obligations.”
According to Avvo, Mr. Blackwell is a family lawyer in Washington, DC. He acquired his law license in DC in 1994.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
