On Friday, October 6, 2023, the Supreme Court of Iowa issued an order suspending the license of attorney Steven C. Kohl for 30 days. Kohl had filed an affidavit consenting to the suspension and the Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board had responded, stating that Kohl’s admitted conduct was sufficient to support a disciplinary license suspension.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Steven C. Kohl,” with case no. 960-D.
In a recent filing before the Grievance Commission of the Supreme Court of Iowa, attorney Kohl has consented to a suspension for professional misconduct. This move comes after a series of neglectful actions in various guardianship cases. Kohl’s negligence dates back to July 22, 2022, when he was publicly reprimanded for neglecting four guardianship matters. Since then, the delinquencies persisted, affecting seven more cases. Among them, the Guardianship of Christina Uit De Flesch stands out with repeated notices of delinquency since 2017. Furthermore, Kohl failed to respond promptly to the Board’s notices and requests, exacerbating the situation. His admissions and mitigating factors point towards a series of unfortunate events, including the loss of a secretary and personal financial difficulties.
In relation to this, the Board has requested that the Court impose a 60-day suspension of Kohl’s license to practice law in the state of Iowa. Kohl cooperated with the investigation and accepted responsibility for his actions.
In determining the appropriate sanction, the board had considered mitigating and aggravating factors. The board noted that Kohl’s cooperation and acceptance of responsibility were mitigating factors, but that his financial difficulties and lack of administrative help were not mitigating. The board also noted that Kohl’s extensive experience as an attorney was an aggravating factor, as was his prior discipline. The board had also considered Kohl’s multiple instances of neglect and his failure to learn from past mistakes as aggravating factors. The board stated that Kohl’s prior history of discipline, particularly his failure to act diligently in representing appointed clients, was a significant aggravating factor.
The Supreme Court of Iowa accepted Steven C. Kohl’s affidavit consenting to a 60-day suspension of his law license but ultimately suspended him for a shorter period of 30 days.
The Disposition states:
“Pursuant to Iowa Court Rule 34.16(3), the court orders that Steven C. Kohl’s license to practice law in this state is suspended for a period of 30 days.”
According to avvo.com, Mr. Kohl is a family attorney in Sioux City, Iowa. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1983 and obtained his law license in the state the same year
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
