SACRAMENTO — The State Bar has filed a sizeable disciplinary case in opposition to fashionable Bay Space lawyer with a big social media following, alleging she took tens of 1000’s from shoppers, then failed them.
Claire White, CEO of her personal Suisun Metropolis agency the Dope Legislation Group, was hit with a 31-count discover of disciplinary expenses alleging she took charges from eight shoppers, however produced “no legal work of value” in return. White already confronted related allegations involving one former shopper when the State Bar introduced this new case on Might 1.
Generally known as a fierce and persuasive lawyer, White has an enormous social media presence — greater than 60,000 Instagram followers — and ceaselessly makes use of the account to publish authorized ideas. In posts, she warns folks to not discuss to police, to “stop snitching” and celebrates acquittals and dismissals in photos with shoppers, with most posts hashtagged “wefightf—you.”
However the charging data in opposition to her paint a wildly completely different portrait. From 2019 to 2023, White is alleged to have accepted charges for authorized providers that weren’t supplied. She allegedly lied in a written declaration — filed below penalty of perjury — about hiring a personal investigator for a case. She additionally allegedly makes use of cash that had been earmarked for shoppers’ authorized charges on private bills, in response to the data filed by the state bar, which licenses attorneys and regulates the apply of legislation.
In early 2020, she allegedly instructed a shopper he might miss a courtroom date to attend a funeral, then didn’t file the mandatory motions to tell the decide. The consequence was her shopper being despatched to jail and dropping his jobs, the discover of disciplinary expenses alleges.
White has retained a lawyer, Mark Reichel, to fend off the fees. He launched a press release describing her as an impressive lawyer.
The circumstances are unresolved, and the primary discover of self-discipline has been in limbo for months. After White was accused in January, the state bar gave discover it had discovered extra proof and would doubtless file extra expenses at a later date. That held the January case in place till Might 1, when the second case was filed. State bar attorneys are looking for to consolidate each circumstances.
If proved, the allegations might lead to self-discipline resembling probation or disbarment. A standing convention has been set for June 9.
“Attorneys have a duty of honesty both to the client and to the court,” Clark mentioned. “When she’s alleged to have made statements under oath that were false to the court, that’s one way to get into very significant problems.”
