On December 23, 2022, the State of Minnesota Supreme Court suspended Saint Paul attorney Jennifer L. Casanova-Roers for alleged professional misconduct. The Case is entitled “In the matter of Jennifer L. Casanova-Roers.”
The charges cited Rules of Professional Conduct 17.(a)(2), 4.3(b), and 4.3(d).
The Rules of Professional Conduct can be found here.
The case started when the respondent allegedly represented two parties without obtaining a waiver when there was a significant risk that the respondent’s responsibilities to both would be materially limited. The Respondent failed to clearly disclose to an unrepresented person that her client’s interests were adverse to the unrepresented person, and the respondent gave legal advice, other than to seek counsel, to an unrepresented person when the respondent knew or should have known that the unrepresented person’s interests were adverse with her client’s interests.
The filing states:
“At all times during which respondent represented E.K, respondent’s legal advice to Ms. Mayer was materially limited by her representation of E.K., and no informed consent, confirmed in writing, was provided by the affected parties, nor could it be provided pursuant to Rule 1.7(b), Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct (MRPC).
Respondent’s conduct in simultaneously representing the alleged perpetrator of a crime while offering legal advice to the victim of the crime including under circumstances where the parties were opposing parties to a DANCO, violated Rule 1.7(a)(2), MRPC.
The filing continues:
“On June 17, 2019, Ms. Mayer texted the respondent that she had re-written the statement and asked if she should send it to the prosecutor or turn it into the courts. Ms. Mayer then texted an image of her rewritten statement to the respondent. The second statement varied from the first statement and followed the changes E.K. had told Ms. Mayer were from the respondent.
The respondent did not make any comment about the changes and texted approval of the second statement. The respondent’s review and approval of the second statement was legal advice to Ms. Mayer, presented in circumstances which made it reasonable for Ms. Mayer to rely on the respondent’s advice.”
The filing further states:
“Respondent’s conduct in giving legal advice, other than the advice to secure counsel, to Ms. Mayer, an unrepresented person, when the respondent knew or should have known that Ms. Mayer’s interests were adverse or had a reasonable possibility of being in conflict with her client’s interests violated Rule 4.3(d), MRPC.”
The court has independently reviewed the file and approved the jointly recommended disposition.
The Disposition states:
“The Respondent Jennifer Lynn Casanova – Roers is suspended from the practice of law for a minimum of 60 days, effective 14 days from the date of this order.”
As of today, Ms. Casanova-Roers’s info can be found on avvo.com. Casanova-Roers practices in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She is licensed in Minnesota with license #332690.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
