On Thursday, September 4, 2025, the Hearing Board of the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) recommended that attorney Paul David Katz be suspended for six months, with all but 90 days stayed, followed by six months of probation. The recommendation stems from findings that Katz overbilled for his services as a court-appointed attorney in the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Child Protection Division.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Paul David Katz,” with case number 2024-07678.
The Administrator of the ARDC filed a complaint on August 29, 2024, alleging that Katz dishonestly overstated the hours he worked on fee petitions, leading to unreasonable fees. The complaint cited violations of Rules 1.5(a), 3.3(a)(1), and 8.4(c) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct. During a hearing on June 3, 2025, the charge regarding Rule 3.3(a)(1) was dropped.
The Hearing Board found clear and convincing evidence that Katz violated Rule 1.5(a) by charging an unreasonable fee but did not find sufficient evidence to support the claim that he acted dishonestly. The board’s report indicated that Katz submitted 275 fee petitions between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, totaling 4,401.25 hours.
While the hourly rates Katz charged were not disputed, the ARDC argued that the total number of hours billed was implausible for a single attorney. The Hearing Board concurred, noting that even after accounting for a policy that allowed one hour of in-court time per fee petition, Katz’s billings averaged nearly 80 hours per week for an entire year. The board attributed the overbilling to Katz’s use of minimum billing increments, specifically quarter-hour increments for out-of-court work and one-hour increments for in-court time, even for brief tasks.
Several judges and attorneys testified that these minimum billing increments were common practice in the Child Protection Division until October 2022. However, the Hearing Board found that Katz’s consistent application of these increments, without offsetting for shorter tasks, resulted in overbilling.
Despite finding a violation of Rule 1.5(a), the Hearing Board concluded that the Administrator did not prove Katz acted dishonestly. The board cited Katz’s rudimentary timekeeping system, lack of support staff, reliance on accepted billing practices, and the fact that his billings were reviewed by multiple judges without issue as reasons for finding no dishonest intent.
The Hearing Board’s recommendation includes conditions to improve Katz’s timekeeping and billing practices during his probation. These conditions involve enrolling in a law office management program, establishing systems for record-keeping and timekeeping, and authorizing the assigned attorney to disclose compliance information to the Administrator.
According to Avvo, Mr. Katz is a lawyer in Deerfield, IL. He acquired his law license in Illinois in 1973.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
