On Thursday, August 11, 2022, the Hearing Board of the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission ruled on charges for attorney discipline against Chicago attorney James Thomas Rollins alleging dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation by fabricating documents.
The case, titled In the Matter of James Thomas Rollins, was brought by the Administrator of the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, under case #2021PR00054.
The cited charges were in violation of the Illinois Rule of Professional Conduct 8.4(c), which provides:
It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to:
(a) violate or attempt to violate the Rules of Professional Conduct, knowingly assist or induce another to do so, or do so through the acts of another.
(b) commit a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects.
A summary of the complaint reads:
“Respondent engaged in dishonest conduct when he fabricated and submitted false bills, receipts, and bank statements to his firm partners to make it appear as though he had paid his capital contribution to the firm when, in fact, he had not. He then engaged in further dishonest conduct when he attempted to conceal his conduct from the firm by fabricating and submitting two false checks to the firm.”
In his Answer, Respondent admitted all of the salient facts that form the basis of the misconduct charge against him and admitted that he violated Rule 8.4(c). In addition, in their opening statements, counsel for both parties agreed that Respondent had admitted the misconduct with which he was charged, and during his testimony at the hearing, Respondent fully acknowledged that he had committed the charged misconduct.
Based upon the serious nature of Respondent’s misconduct, the Hearing Board after taking into account the significant mitigation and minimal aggravation, recommends that Respondent be suspended for five months.
The dispositive portion of the Report and Recommendation of the Hearing Board reads:
“After reviewing the cases cited by the parties as well as the foregoing cases, and considering the relevant circumstances of this matter, we believe that a five-month suspension is commensurate with Respondent’s misconduct, consistent with discipline that has been imposed for comparable misconduct, and sufficient to serve the goals of attorney discipline and deter others from committing similar misconduct.
Accordingly, we recommend that Respondent, James Thomas Rollins, be suspended for five months.”
As of today, Mr. Rollins is listed as a practicing attorney for Sullivan and Associates. He attended Valparaiso University School of Law, graduating in 2003. Rollins practices in Chicago, Illinois. Rollins, with license 6291923, has been licensed in Illinois, as well as Iowa and Missouri.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
