Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Disbarment is when a lawyer gets in big trouble for doing something really bad, like stealing money or lying to their clients. It's the worst punishment they can get, and it means they can't be a lawyer anymore. Sometimes, they might get a smaller punishment like being suspended or put on probation instead. Different states have different rules for how to punish lawyers who do bad things, but they all agree that disbarment is very serious.
Disbarment is the most serious punishment for a lawyer who has done something wrong. It means that the lawyer's license to practice law is taken away. Only a court can give a lawyer a license to practice law, so only a court can take it away. Sometimes, less serious punishments like suspension or probation are given instead of disbarment.
There are many reasons why a lawyer might be disbarred. Some of these reasons include:
The rules for punishing lawyers are different in each state. However, most states use the same rules that were created by the American Bar Association. These rules say that when a lawyer does something wrong, the court should think about:
For example, if a lawyer steals money from a client, they might be disbarred. This is because stealing is a serious crime, and it hurts the client a lot. However, if a lawyer makes a small mistake that doesn't hurt anyone, they might just get a warning instead of being disbarred.