On Wednesday, December 14, 2022, the Supreme Court of New Jersey ordered the reprimand of East Brunswick attorney Barbara K. Lewinson from the practice of law for having engaged in a noncurrent conflict of interest.

The case is styled In the Matter of Barbara K. Lewinson and was brought by the District VIII Ethics Committee, with case #DRB21-210.

The charges cited Rules of Professional Conduct RPC 1.7(a)(2), which prohibits:

A lawyer from representing a client if the representation involves a concurrent conflict of interest. A concurrent conflict of interest exists if:

there is a significant risk that the representation of one or more clients will be materially limited by the lawyer’s responsibilities to another client, a former client, or a third person or by a personal interest of the lawyer.

The New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct can be found here.

The following are as alleged and summarized from the filing:

In 2003, Lewinson represented Belinda Wallace in the dissolution of her marriage with her then-husband Leonard Wallace. Nearly sixteen years later, Lewinson represented Leonard Wallace seeking the enforcement of the terms of the 2003 final judgment of divorce and to split the proceeds from the sale of their marital home. Because of his representation of Leonard Wallace, Lewinson has engaged in a concurrent conflict of interest.

Based on these acts, the District Ethics Committee (DEC) recommended Lewinson’s reprimand.

According to the filing: 

‘The DEC found, by clear and convincing evidence, that respondent’s violation of RPC1.7(a)(2) was knowingly committed, since she attached the 2003 final judgment of divorce to the 2019enforcement application and referenced the equitable distribution provision. The DEC further determined that there was a significant risk that respondent’s representation of Leonard in 2019 would have been materially limited by respondent’s responsibilities to Belinda, her former client.’

The Disciplinary Review Board on March 16, 2022, entered its Decision and recommended to the Court that Lewinson be reprimanded and reimburse the Disciplinary Oversight Committee for administrative costs and actual expenses incurred in the prosecution of the matter.

With the foregoing facts and discussions, the court ruled against Lewinson in relation to the above-cited Rules of Professional Conduct and ordered Lewinson’s reprimand.

The dispositive part of the Order reads:

“It is ORDERED that Barbara K. Lewinson is hereby reprimanded; and it is further

ORDERED that the entire record of this matter be made a permanent part of respondent’s file as an attorney at law of this State; and it is further

ORDERED that respondent reimburse the Disciplinary Oversight Committee for appropriate administrative costs and actual expenses incurred in the prosecution of this matter. . .’

As of today, Ms. Barbara K. Lewinson practices in East Brunswick, New Jersey. She has been licensed in New Jersey, license no. 019021981. Her info can be found on her personal website.

A copy of the order of reprimand can be found here.