The Supreme Court of Ohio has suspended the law license of Cincinnati attorney Rebecca C. Meyer for 18 months, with the final six months of that term conditionally stayed, for continuing to practice law while her license was under an administrative suspension and violating two other state attorney discipline rules.

In a 6-1 per curiam opinion announced today, the court adopted findings by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances & Discipline that Meyer admitted that she continued to practice law between December 17, 2010, when her license was suspended for failure to comply with state continuing education requirements, and June 14, 2011, the date on which the court reinstated her from that suspension.

Meyer also admitted that in seeking reinstatement she made false and misleading statements in a letter to disciplinary counsel, including the assertion that she had not engaged in the practice of law during the period of suspension. Finally, Meyer admitted that  despite having changed her last name from Gee to Meyer when she married in 2004, she had not notified the Supreme Court of that change as required by the court’s attorney registration rules.

In setting the sanction for this misconduct, the court noted that Meyer, who is also licensed to practice law in Kentucky, was suspended from practice in that state in March 2012 for failure to comply with Kentucky continuing education requirements, and that Ohio issued a reciprocal discipline order based on the Kentucky suspension in June 2012.  The court also took note of the hearing panel’s belief that Meyer’s misconduct was at least partially related to mental health issues for which she has entered into a treatment contract with the Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program (OLAP). 

A majority of the court, including Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor and Justices Paul E. Pfeifer, Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, Terrence O’Donnell, Robert R. Cupp and Yvette McGee Brown, voted to impose the board-recommended sanction of an 18 month license suspension with the final six months stayed on the condition that Meyer continue to comply with her OLAP contract.

Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger dissented, stating that she would impose the sanction recommended by the three-member panel that heard the case, which was an eighteen month suspension with 12 months conditionally stayed.

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2012-1001. Disciplinary Counsel v. Meyer, Slip Opinion No. 2012-Ohio-5487.
On Certified Report by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline, No. 11-084.  Rebecca Christine Meyer, f.k.a. Gee, Attorney Registration No. 0076007, is suspended from the practice of law in Ohio for 18 months, with six months stayed on condition.
O’Connor, C.J., and Pfeifer, Lundberg Stratton, O’Donnell, Cupp, and McGee Brown, JJ., concur.
Lanzinger, J., dissents and would impose an 18-month suspension with 12 months stayed.
Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2012/2012-Ohio-5487.pdf