On Monday, August 15, 2022, the Review Board of the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission ruled on the Petition for Reinstatement of Sarah Jane Melisande Jones.

The case is styled as In the Matter of Sarah Jane Melisande Jones, with case number  #30490.

According to the filing:

“Between approximately 2008 and 2010, Petitioner engaged in misconduct in six separate immigration cases, which included neglecting client matters, failing to communicate with clients, making misrepresentations to clients, failing to refund unearned fees, and engaging in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. Her misconduct was, in large part, causally related to her severe depression at the time of the misconduct. In 2011, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals sanctioned Petitioner $2,000 for failing to take certain actions, which included notifying clients that she was withdrawing from all pending cases.”

“In 2012, Petitioner was disbarred on consent in Illinois.”

Summary of the Review Board’s Report and Recommendation reads:

“Petitioner seeks reinstatement. She was disbarred on consent in 2012, based on misconduct relating to her immigration practice in California. Following a hearing at which Petitioner was represented by counsel, the Hearing Board found that Petitioner proved that she is rehabilitated and meets the requirements for reinstatement, and the Hearing Board recommended that she be reinstated to the practice of law, with conditions including mental health treatment and supervision of her law practice by another attorney. The Administrator appealed, asking this Board to recommend that Petitioner not be reinstated at this time.”

“For the reasons that follow, we affirm the Hearing Board’s finding that Petitioner proved she is rehabilitated and meets the requirements for reinstatement, and we recommend that Petitioner be reinstated to the practice of law, subject to strict conditions and oversight for a period of three years, as recommended by the Hearing Board. We further recommend that additional conditions concerning restitution relating to two former clients be imposed, as set forth below.

In its Conclusion, the Review Board states:
 
“In sum, based on the record as a whole, we agree with the Hearing Board that Petitioner has shown by clear and convincing evidence that she is rehabilitated and is once more fit to practice law. We believe that Petitioner should be given a second chance. The evidence shows that Petitioner successfully sought out mental health treatment and her depression is in remission; she has taken numerous successful steps to change and improve her life; she has acknowledged her misconduct and understands the severity of her acts, and she is sincerely remorseful. We believe that Petitioner will be able to successfully practice law without harming the public and that the recommended conditions will help Petitioner succeed.
 
Accordingly, we recommend that Petitioner be reinstated to the practice of law, subject to the conditions recommended by the Hearing Board, with the additional conditions concerning restitution set forth above.”
 
Before her disbarment in 2012, Sarah Jane Melisande Jones handled immigration cases in San Francisco, California. She had been licensed in Illinois, with license #6211249 but she never practiced there. She finished her Law degree at Washington University, in St. Louis, graduating in 1992.
 
A copy of the original filing can be found here.