On Wednesday, April 3, 2024, the Supreme Court of Louisiana issued a ruling in the disciplinary matter of attorney Sonya Eloyace Hall, imposing a six-month suspension from practicing law.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Sonya Eloyace Hall,” with case no. 2024-B-0029.
The case stemmed from formal charges brought by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel against Hall relating to her representation of a client in civil litigation. According to the filing, Hall was hired in July 2020 to represent Renee Michelle Darensbourg and was paid $3,500 to handle the case through the pre-trial phase. Hall filed some initial documents on behalf of her client but the last activity in the case was in July 2021.
In January 2022, Darensbourg reached out to Hall about the status of her case but Hall disclosed that she was under an active suspension from practicing law at that time. While Hall became eligible for reinstatement later that month, Darensbourg reported being unable to contact Hall or confirm any further work was being done on her matter. Darensbourg subsequently filed a complaint against Hall with the ODC.
The Court’s opinion noted that Hall had a prior disciplinary history, having received a suspension in 2021 for mishandling client funds and failing to cooperate with the ODC, as well as having her probation revoked in a separate matter in 2023.
After reviewing the evidence, the Court determined Hall’s actions constituted violations of several ethical rules regarding competence, communication, termination of representation, and cooperation with disciplinary authorities. Given her past issues and the aggravating factors involved, the court agreed with the disciplinary committee’s recommendation of a six-month suspension.
However, Justice Scott Crichton dissented in part, arguing the sanction was too lenient. Noting a “pattern of indifference” shown by Hall across multiple disciplinary proceedings, Justice Crichton would have imposed a longer suspension of one year and one day. The court’s ruling requires Hall to provide an accounting and refund of unearned fees to her former client.
According to Linkedin, Ms. Hall attended the Southern University Law Center, graduating in 1996.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
