Lousiana prohibits applicant from ever applying for admission to the bar in the future

The Legal Profession blog is reporting today on a case in which the Louisiana Supreme Court has not only denied a bar applicant's request for admission to the bar, but has decided to "permanently prohibit her from reapplying in the future."  The opinion is available here.

The day before the applicant was to be sworn in, her law school rescinded her Dean's Certificate in light of allegations of embezzlement of funds of the Student Bar Association, of which she had been the president.  As a result, admission was denied and a commissioner was appointed to take character and fitness evidence.  The record established that she destroyed SBA records that she had in her possession, failed to cooperate and "forged the signature of her attorney on a letter directing her bank not to comply with a subpoena issued by her law school."  She was found to have engaged in unauthorized practice of law and to have improperly shared fees with an attorney.

The court concluded that "[g]iven the egregious nature of [her] wrongdoing, as well as her pattern of misconduct occurring over many years, we can conceive of no circumstance under which we would ever grant her admission to the practice of law in this state."

I don't think I have ever heard of a lifetime ban like this one, although I, of course, have not read every single decision denying admission to an applicant.