On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, the Supreme Court of New Jersey ordered that Attorney Savanna Arabi-Katbi be censured for violating multiple Rules of Professional Conduct in her representation of a client.

The case is entitled “In the Matter of Michael Anthony Policastro,” with case no. 089885.

The charges cited New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4(b), 1.4(c), and 8.1(b), which states:

Lacking diligence.

Failing to communicate with a client.

Failing to explain a matter to the extent reasonably necessary to permit the client to make informed decisions about the representation.

Failing to cooperate with disciplinary authorities.

The Rules of Professional Conduct can be found here.

The case against Arabi-Katbi stems from her representation of Michael Puschak in 2021 regarding an appeal of a $96,230 civil judgment entered against him. On March 15, 2021, Puschak retained Arabi-Katbi and paid her $5,000 to represent him on appeal. Arabi-Katbi filed a timely notice of appeal on April 7, 2021, but the brief and appendix she subsequently filed were deficient.

The Clerk of the Appellate Division notified Arabi-Katbi about the deficiencies on three occasions between August 9 and September 9, 2021. However, Arabi-Katbi failed to cure the issues, resulting in the dismissal of Puschak’s appeal on September 17, 2021. She did not inform Puschak about the dismissal or deficiencies. As a result, Puschak was unable to seek further relief from the judgment.

Puschak made repeated attempts to contact Arabi-Katbi by phone and email throughout 2021 and 2022 but received no response. Due to his concerns over her lack of communication, Puschak contacted the police in the summer of 2022 for a wellness check on Arabi-Katbi. She eventually apologized and claimed illness had prevented communication.

Puschak filed a grievance against Arabi-Katbi on January 27, 2023, but she failed to respond to the investigation. The District VIII Ethics Committee certified the record of the case to the Disciplinary Review Board on February 5, 2024. On August 19, 2024, the Board determined Arabi-Katbi had violated the Rules of Professional Conduct regarding lack of diligence, failure to communicate with clients, and failure to cooperate with disciplinary authorities. The Board recommended a censure as the appropriate level of discipline given her lack of prior violations.

The Supreme Court adopted the recommendation in its October 7, 2024 order, formally censuring Arabi-Katbi. She was also required to reimburse the costs of the disciplinary proceedings.

According to the filing, Ms. Arabi-Katbi acquired her law license in New Jersey in 2017.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.