Cleveland attorney Leonette F. Cicirella has been permanently disbarred for multiple violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct that included practicing law while her license was under suspension for previous disciplinary infractions.

In a 7-0 per curiam decision announced today, the Supreme Court of Ohio adopted findings by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances & Discipline that Cicirella performed legal services for a client in 2005 and 2010, despite the fact that her law license has been continuously suspended since September 1999 for previous acts of misconduct and has never been reinstated. 

The board also found that after accepting a retainer in the 2010 incident, Cicirella failed to complete the promised legal work, failed to return the client’s phone calls, failed to refund the unearned retainer, and failed to return the client’s original documents to her despite the client’s requests that she do so.

The court agreed with the board’s recommendation that permanent disbarment was the appropriate sanction for Cicirella’s practice of law while her license was suspended, the other rule violations arising from her neglect and dishonesty in dealing with the 2010 client, and her failure to cooperate with disciplinary authorities investigating her misconduct.

Please note: Opinion summaries are prepared by the Office of Public Information for the general public and news media. Opinion summaries are not prepared for every opinion, but only for noteworthy cases. Opinion summaries are not to be considered as official headnotes or syllabi of court opinions. The full text of this and other court opinions are available online.

2012-0315.  Cleveland Metro. Bar Assn. v. Cicirella, Slip Opinion No. 2012-Ohio-4300.
On Certified Report by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline, No. 11-080.  Leonette F. Cicirella, Attorney Registration No. 0042219, is disbarred from the practice of law in Ohio.
O’Connor, C.J., and Pfeifer, Lundberg Stratton, O’Donnell, Lanzinger, Cupp, and McGee Brown, JJ., concur.
Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2012/2012-Ohio-4300.pdf

PDF files may be viewed, printed, and searched using the free Acrobat^® Reader
Acrobat Reader is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.